Prism (optics)

High school (ages 12+)
Science & Technology

Name:

Date:

Step 1 · Read the article

Open the article and read it at the level above. Then answer the questions below in your own words.

https://smallwhale.org/articles/prism-optics

Write what each word means, using the article.

Do not copy the article. Write two things you learned, the way you would explain them to a friend.

Answers below are taken from the article’s stored facts, so they match what the student read.

1. What is the primary optical phenomenon?Dispersion, the variation of refractive index with wavelength
2. What is the key scientist?Sir Isaac Newton (1643-1727), who demonstrated the composite nature of white light
3. What is a prism?A prism is a clear, solid shape with at least two non‑parallel flat faces that can bend and split light. It is made of glass or another transparent material. The way it bends light is called refraction.
4. How does a prism split white light into colors?When white light enters a prism, it bends at the first surface and bends again when it leaves. Because different colors bend by different amounts, the light spreads out into a rainbow of colors.

Refractive Index: A measure of how much light bends when entering a material from a vacuum.
Snell's Law: The mathematical relationship describing how light bends at the interface between two different media.
Spectroscopy: The study of the interaction between matter and electromagnetic radiation, often by analyzing light spectra.