Question

Describe with the help of diagram, how the refraction of light takes place through a glass prism.

Answer 1

Answer:

I think this will help you in understanding..

Answer 2

Answer:

Refraction of Light through a Glass Prism.

Explanation:

Refraction is the process of bending of light rays when passing from first medium to the second medium. So the moment a light ray passes from one medium to the other, the process of refraction takes place.

Now in this case, we are speaking of the refraction of light when it passes through a simple glass prism. The process of refraction in this cases is observed in two stages:-

1. When the ray of light enters the glass prism, the first refraction is observed.

2. When the ray of light leaves the glass prism a second refraction process is observed.

Here when the ray of light is passing through the Glass prism, a process of deviation (change in direction of the light) is observed.

Diagram attached in the file.......

As  we are already aware that the light when passing from one medium to the other a change in its direction is observed. So the process of bending of light rays take place, when passing from one medium to another.

On traveling from one medium that is optical by nature there is a difference in the two medium in terms of their optical density. This is what is responsible for the process of refraction.

How much the easy of light bend, generally depends on the wavelength. The wavelength of the light changes because the speed of light also changes with the change in the medium in which it is travelling (here it is the air and then the glass prism and then back it is air).

It is also certain that a common type of glass prism is having two different bases that are triangular and three different surfaces that are rectangular. These are inclined at an angle that is also called as the inclination angle.

Here the PQR prism and QR is the base of the prism. AB is the light ray and is incident to PQ which is the prism face. So we can say that AB acts as the incident ray (ray entering the prism).

So the moment AB moves from air to prism it moves from Rare to a denser medium. This makes the light ray bend towards the Normal BN’. Here BC becomes the refracted ray of light. This is towards the QR base.  

Now at point C this ray of light emerges out of the prism and the process of refraction again takes place. Now this time the ray moves from denser medium (prism) to the rare medium (air). Now at CD we get what is termed as the emergent ray.

Now when the ray of white light comes out from the prism it breaks down in to its basic components. A spectrum of white light is observed at the emergent side.  The seven colour break down into seven lights depending on the wave length (Violet, Indigo, Blue, Green, Yellow and finally Red).

So the Violet color has smallest wavelength while the Red light has highest wavelength.