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Question
A prism causes dispersion of white light while a rectangular glass block does not. Explain.
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Solution
In a prism, the refraction of light takes place at the two slant surfaces. The dispersion of white light occurs at the first surface of the prism where its constituent colours have deviated through different angles. At the second surface, these split colours suffer the only refraction and they get further separated. But in a rectangular glass block, the refraction of light takes place at the two parallel surfaces. At the first surface, although the white light splits into its constituent colours on refraction, these split colours on suffering refraction at the second surface emerge out in form of a parallel beam, which gives an impression of white light.
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