2006-08-28 14:53:29 · 8 answers · asked by dhhernandez2003@sbcglobal.net 1 in Science & Mathematics ➔ Earth Sciences & Geology
Light travels at a different speed through glass. Blue light bends the most and red light bends the least because red travels faster. Because red travels faster it has a lower index of refraction. The speed of red through glass is closer to the speed of light in a vacuum than is blue. In a related matter, a diamond really slows the speed of light resulting in beautiful refracted light through the crystal facets.
2006-08-28 16:36:44 · answer #1 · answered by JimZ 7 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Light is consisted of the colours of the rainbow
These colours are of different wavelength
Visible light is a very small portion of the electromagnetic spectrum
400nm to 750nm is the visible spectrum
violet 380-435nm
blue 435-500nm
cyan 500-520nm
green 520-565nm
yellow 565-590nm
orange 590-625nm
red 625-740nm
http://hyperphysics.phy-astr.gsu.edu/hbase/vision/specol.html
Refraction if you place a stick in water so half is in and half the stick is in the air you will see the stick in the water has refracted at an angle to the sick you are holding in the air
Because the water is a different refractive index to air the stick will refract
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Refraction
Likewise because the prism is a different refractive index to air light refreacts into its compnent colours because these colours are a different wavelength
2006-08-28 22:21:37 · answer #2 · answered by Eric C 4 · 0⤊ 0⤋
This is a Physics question, but here goes. The speed of light is not constant, it varies depending on the medium through which it is travelling, along with the amount of time it travels through the substance. Light entering near the "point" of the prism takes less time to travel through the prism than light near the "base" of the prism. The light is refracted into different wavelengths, which our eyes preceive as colored light.
2006-08-29 12:07:09 · answer #3 · answered by Amphibolite 7 · 0⤊ 0⤋
It's spelled prism. Since a prism has an "abnormal" shape, when the light goes through it, it kind of mirrors the light and it comes out as colors.
2006-08-28 22:00:16 · answer #4 · answered by killer queen 5 · 0⤊ 0⤋
A prism does not 'create' colours, white light is made up of a spectrum of colours that the prism separates.
2006-08-28 22:00:12 · answer #5 · answered by stefjeff 4 · 0⤊ 0⤋
It doesn't "create" colors. It seperates out different wave lengths of white light. Different wave lenghts travel differently through the glass, and hence are seperated out.
The link gives more detail.
2006-08-28 22:04:00 · answer #6 · answered by Walter 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋
It refracts the white light-which contains all colors- and splits the light into the seven forms of visible light, which is why you see red, orange, yellow, green, blue, indigo, and violet!
2006-08-28 21:59:35 · answer #7 · answered by legallyblond2day 5 · 0⤊ 0⤋
a prism splits white light into the colors that it really is
2006-08-28 23:21:22 · answer #8 · answered by just tht kid over there 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋