Write a short note on dispersion of light.
Solution
Dispersion of light:-
The phenomenon of splitting of light into its component colours is called dispersion of light. When white light passes through a glass prism, it spreads out into a band of different colours which constitute the spectrum of light. The colours in the spectrum of white light are violet, indigo, blue, green, yellow, orange and red. Dispersion takes place because the refractive index of a material such as glass or water is different for different colours. It is maximum for violet colour and minimum for red colour. Hence, in the spectrum of white light obtained with a prism, violet light is deviated the most, while red light is deviated the least. The deviation of light corresponding to other colours lies in between these two colours.