These slides are for junior high school physical sciences learners and they consist of the basic knowledge of refraction of light.

1. The Light Prism
Compiled by S Kave

2. WHAT IS A PRISM
• Prism, in optics, a piece of glass or other transparent material cut with
precise angles and plane faces, useful for analyzing and reflecting light.
• An ordinary triangular prism can separate white light into its constituent
colours, called a spectrum.
• Each colour, or wavelength, making up the white light is bent, or refracted, a
different amount; the shorter wavelengths (those toward the violet end of
the spectrum) are bent the most, and the longer wavelengths (those toward
the red end of the spectrum) are bent the least. Prisms

3. The Light Prism
• Prism of this kind are used in certain spectroscopes, instruments for
analyzing light and for determining the identity and structure of materials
that emit or absorb light.

4. COLOUR SPECTRUM

5. HOW DOES THE RAINBOW FORM?

6. HOW DOES THE RAINBOW FORM?
• Water droplets break sunlight into the seven colors of the spectrum. You get
the same result when sunlight passes through a prism. The water droplets in
the atmosphere act as prisms, though the traces of light are very complex.
• MNEMONIC of colours that form during white light refraction:
R O Y G B I V
• RED ORANGE YELLOW GREEN BLUE INDIGO VIOLET

7. QUIZ
• Which statement best describes the function of a prism
a. Reflects white light and breaks it down to its constituent colours
b. Refracts white light, in the process breaks it down to its constituent colours
c. Refracts white light in the process breaks it down to visible light colour
spectrum
d. Bends white light in the process breaking it down to its constituent colours

8. QUIZ
• Choose an option which completes the following statement: Colours of
short wavelength are… and colours of longer wavelength are…
a. Refracted more, refracted less
b. Refracted more, refracted more
c. Refracted less, refracted more
d. Refracted less, refracted less

9. QUIZ
• Which option best describes how light is refracted through a prism
a. White light enters prism at an angle, visible light colour spectrum form
b. White light enters prism at an angle, white light separates into its constituent
colours, colours form at angle equal to the angle white light entered
c. White light enters prism at an angle, white light separates into constituent colours,
colours, colours form at angle lower than angle that white light entered
d. White light enters prism at an angle, white light separates into constituent colours,
colours form at an angle greater than the angle that white light entered