Form four

Chapter six
Dispersion

Introduction
Refraction of light through a glass prism causes dispersion of light sir Isaac newton,
While working with the astronomical telescope, observed that the images of stars were coloured
near the fringes, he then got the lenses of the tries cope polished, but found that the coloured still
persisted look at the picture below of seven colors.
From these observation he suggested that the fault may not be with lenses, but there is
something in the nature of the light itself.
Dispersion: is the phenomenon due to which a white light splits into its component colors, when
passed through a prism is called dispersion.
Spectrum: is the bond of seven colors obtained on the screen, when white light splits into its
component colours is called spectrum
The seven colors are red, orange, yellow, green, indigo, blue and violet.
The order of the colors can be easily memorized by the word VIBGYOR.
It has been observed that the bands of colors obtained on the screen have no sharp boundaries,
but merge in each other, such a spectrum is called impure spectrum, on the other hand if the
spectrum has sharp boundaries it is called pure spectrum.
Recombination of colour spectrum
Newton showed that the seven colors of the white light can be recombined to give back a white
light, this can be done by using two triangular glass prism. Prism A which is placed on its base
and another similar prism B which is placed alongside it on its vertex [inverted] the first prism
disperses white light and second prism, which is upside down, recombines the seven colours of
the white light. The first prism is called dispersing prism. The second prism is called
recombining prism.
What causes dispersion of white light?
White light is a mixture of several waves of electromagnetic radiations, whose wavelengths vary
700nm to 400nm. The highest wavelengths produce red sensation in the eye, whereas the lowest
produce violet sensation. The wavelengths between the 700nm and 400nm produce the effect of
indigo, blue, yellow and orange. These waves travel with same speed ( 3 ×10 8 m/ s ) in vacuum.

However, on passing through the prism, the waves of different wavelengths slow down, the red
slowing down the least and violet the maximum. The in turn bends the waves of different colours
through different angles. Thus, the white light splits to component colours or the dispersion of
white light takes place.
Monochromatic and polychromatic light.
Light of a single colour or single wavelength is called monochromatic light. While light
emitted by sodium vapour, is golden yellow in colour and is a monochromatic light. Also, a light
which made of two or more colour is called polychromatic light. Sunlight is polychromatic as it
is made of seven colors,
Rainbow
Rainbow is one of the most beautiful examples of spectrum formed due to the dispersion of light
in nature. Therefore the rainbow is produced due to the dispersion of sunlight by tiny droplets of
water suspended in air, just after rain.
The suspended tiny droplets of water acts as innumerable small prism. You can also see rainbow
on a bright sunny day, in the mist create by waterfall or a water fountain.
Note: A rainbow is always formed in the direction opposite to that of the sun.