Prism - Dispersion of Light

Prism dispersion is the process of separating white light into its component colors - red, orange, yellow, green, blue, and violet - upon passage through it. The prism achieves dispersion due to the difference in the refractive index according to the wavelength or different speeds with wavelength or frequency. The refractive index (μ) of a material depends upon wavelength (λ) and is given by Cauchy’s formula, μ = a+ b/(λ²). This application is an excellent demonstration of the above and a very useful tool for the academic community.