What is Prism: Definition and 237 Discussions

An optical prism is a transparent optical element with flat, polished surfaces that refract light. At least one surface must be angled — elements with two parallel surfaces are not prisms. The traditional geometrical shape of an optical prism is that of a triangular prism with a triangular base and rectangular sides, and in colloquial use "prism" usually refers to this type. Some types of optical prism are not in fact in the shape of geometric prisms. Prisms can be made from any material that is transparent to the wavelengths for which they are designed. Typical materials include glass, acrylic and fluorite.
A dispersive prism can be used to break white light up into its constituent spectral colors (the colors of the rainbow). Furthermore, prisms can be used to reflect light, or to split light into components with different polarizations.

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  1. EthanC

    I Parametrisation of triangular prism

    Hi, I am having difficulty trying to parameterize triangular prism formed by the planes: x =0, y=0, z=0, z=1 and x+y=1. I have tried a couple different ways to get the five surfaces in separate parameterisations using the r(u,v)=i +j+k basis. I just need a push in the right direction but am...
  2. N

    MHB Maximizing Volume of Rectangular Prism with 120cm x 80cm Sheet Metal

    My question is that I have to find the dimensions of a rectangular prism (cuboid), where none of the faces are square that will maximise its volume. The sheet metal I have to build it from is 120 cm by 80 cm. I don't even know where to start, I can do it if I'm given a height, width or length...
  3. R

    What is the effect of light on the weight of a glass prism?

    Homework Statement Figure 1.1 shows an equilateral glass prism illuminated by a 100 W laser beam of wavelength λ = 600 nm. The refractive index of the glass of the prism is 1.50 at λ = 600 nm. The path of the light in the prism is parallel to the base of the prism. The momentum of a photon is...
  4. Kirito123

    Apply Area and Pythagorean Theorem to a prism

    Homework Statement Homework Equations Formula for Area of a retangle : A = L x W Pythagorean theorem: A2 + b2 = c2 The Attempt at a Solution So I am pretty sure I did it correct but I just want to be 100% certain I will get this right, By the way its a picture cause I found it easier to...
  5. Y

    White light thru prism: Why aren't separated colors actually mixed?

    Ok, here's the illustration of the experiment: http://media.web.britannica.com/eb-media/10/7710-050-36C066AC.jpg But if you trace the light path back from the prism and into the white light, it seems as though the white light is actually made up of STACKED colors of the rainbow, not a MIXTURE...
  6. Z

    Are the rays parallel after they come out of the prism?

    Homework Statement Two rays of light fall on a surface of the prism. Do they remain parallel after they come out from the prism? Homework Equations sina/sinb=n2/n1 The Attempt at a Solution I think they do, as the incidence angles are equal, the refraction angles are equal they become...
  7. O

    What Angle Does Light Emerge from a Prism?

    Homework Statement A light ray traveling in the horizontal direction is incident onto a prism as shown in the figure. At what angle relative to horizontal does the light ray emerge from the second face of the shown prism if the prism has an index of refraction of 1.5 and is surrounded by air...
  8. P

    Newton's laws -- Block sliding on a Prism

    Homework Statement All the surfaces shown in fig. are assumed to be frictionless. The block of mass m slides on the prism of mass M which in turn slides backwards on horizontal surface with acceleration of ao. Find the acceleration of smaller block with respect to prism. Homework...
  9. T

    Light ray deflected by the prism made of ruby

    i know snell's law is n1sin(theta)1 = n2sin(theta)2, and that sin(thetac) = (nair/n2)
  10. O

    Angle Spread with Snell's Law

    Homework Statement Dispersion in a window pane. In Figure (a) below , a beam of white light is incident at angle θ1 = 67o on a common window pane (shown in cross section). For the pane's type of glass, the index of refraction for visible light ranges from 1.535 at the blue end of the spectrum...
  11. Roger Dodger

    Fermat's Principle, Snell's Law, and the Prism

    I have a conundrum of sorts that has made me feel like an idiot and I am hoping someone can point out my mistake. Suppose a light source is placed to the left of a prism and a detector is placed on the opposite side. I have seen plenty of pictures of this sort, and they all appear to show the...
  12. G

    Why light can't penetrate the prism with 45 degree angle

    why light can't penetrate the prism with 45 degree angle?
  13. Y

    Far Field Approximation After a Prism

    Homework Statement A wave with an initial profile ##U(z)=Ae^{ik_0z}e^{-\frac{z^2}{2\sigma^2}}## is traveling in the z direction (yes, the Gaussian profile and the optical axis are not perpendicular). It then passes through a prism with apex angle ##\alpha## and refractive index...
  14. K

    Why should i=e for minimum deviation in a triangular prism?

    When I was solving questions on Ray optics I encountered a question wherein I had to prove that when a ray of light undergoes minimum deviation through a triangular prism then both the angles of refraction that is the first one at the incident point and the second one at the emergent point...
  15. J

    Angle of Refraction through a Prism

    Hello everyone, I am trying to figure out how to explain an aspect of this question to my students, but cannot seem to recall the geometry that explains the textbook's approach. In the figure below, for part (b) of the question, we are using the angles of refraction at the left boundary to...
  16. arthurmani

    Why is diffused light captured through V-shaped grooves?

    Hello, we routed V-shaped grooves in an acrylic panel using a CNC milling machine and placed the panel in front of my window, with no direct light hitting it. The pictures below show two cases, in the top picture, the grooves are facing the window and on the bottom one the grooves are facing...
  17. G

    Is PRISM a better alternative to fusion?

    http://gehitachiprism.com/what-is-prism/how-prism-works/ Said to be able to generate very little nuclear waste. Highly energy efficient. Given the technical challenges of nuclear fusion, will PRISM be a more easily manageable alternative?
  18. P

    Flexural strength of triangular prism

    Hello forum, could someone share a formula to calculate the flexural strength and flexure modulus of a beam with a rounded triangular cross-section? Namely triangular crayons, which is rounded on the edges. Assuming that the triangle is equilateral...
  19. P

    Optical Prism: Refractive Index & Light Rays

    MODERATOR'S NOTE: THIS THREAD HAS BEEN MOVED HERE FROM ANOTHER FORUM, SO THERE IS NO TEMPLATE A ray of white light is incident on a 45o – 90o – 45o prism (ray 1 in the figure on the left). The prism is constructed from crown glass with a refractive index of n2 = 1.5205 at the wavelength of...
  20. Roodles01

    What is a Dichromatic Prism and How Does it Work?

    I found what was called a "dichromatic prism" on ebay and bought it. It is a cube and although described as "not perfect" it splits light extremely well and is quite a cool object to show those in my staff room. I understand that dichroic is different but not sure how. Question is, how does it...
  21. norlesh

    Would a flattened (sheet glass) dispersion prism work?

    Could a thin sheet of glass with appropriate edge angles work as a dispersion prism? If the prism were laying flat my thoughts are the light should be contained via TIR in a plane that would remain perpendicular to the top and bottom while said plane dispersed horizontally according to...
  22. A

    Square based prism general rule

    Homework Statement See attached picture Homework Equations For any rectangular prism, the formulas are the following: Surface Area = 2(lw + wh + hl); l is length, w is width, and h is height. Volume = lwh; l is length, w is width, and h is height. For a square-based prism, the formulas are...
  23. T

    Can I Reach the End of a Rainbow with a Shovel?

    I'm interested in rainbows. I'm talking about good old fashioned arc/halo rainbows like those you see in the sky. Sometimes you see rainbows from lawn sprinklers. How small would the smallest rainbow arc conceivably possible to view be? Could I make a rainbow at night using a sprinkler with a...
  24. J

    Prism -- brightness of a ray of white light as it passes through a prism?

    What happens to the brightness of a ray of white light as it passes through a prism?
  25. Dan LaSota

    Vendor for Flint Glass Block or Prism

    Hi, I'm trying to put together materials to demonstrate the Faraday Effect. I need to locate the supplier of some flint glass (glass with lead oxide or similar materials increasing the Verdet constant), that I could use in my lab. I had found this from Mansion Schools...
  26. Venerable R

    Red and Violet Light through a Prism (Snell's Law)

    Homework Statement A ray of white light strikes the surface of a 4.0-cm-thick slab of flint glass (Θ1 = 60°). As the ray enters the glass, it is dispersed into its constituent colors. Estimate how far apart the rays of deepest red and deepest violet light are as they exit the bottom surface...
  27. C

    What are the common methods for creating a laser point cloud?

    Hey all, I'm hoping this is in the right section. Basically I'm interested in creating a laser point cloud, but can't think of the best shape to do it. E.G. shining a laser straight down through a median and having the light scattered into a lot more points. I'd than have a receiver to read...
  28. diracdelta

    Minimal angle of deviation through the prism

    Homework Statement Minimal angle of deviation δm of light after passing through prism is connected with index of refraction n and inner angle of prism Φ: If index of refraction and inner angle of prism are directly measured, determine minimal angle of deviation, n=(1.52 ± 0.04) Φ=(30 ±...
  29. F

    Finding the Index of Refraction in a Prism

    Homework Statement A ray of light passes through a prism, making the minimum angle of deviation. The rays enter and emerge at 37degree from the normal to the surface. What is the index of refraction of the material, if the prism angle is 50degree?[/B]Homework Equations...
  30. gauss44

    Why does or doesn't a rainbow form?

    When light enters some pieces of glass from the air, such as a magnifying glass or window, rainbows usually don't form. But when light enters a prism, rainbows form. Why do rainbows form in the prism, but not in the magnifying glass or window?(This is my own personal curiosity and because I...
  31. C

    Constructing a Hollow Glass Prism for Science Experiment

    i have recently made a hollow prism for my science exhibition in my school ... to find refractive indices of fluids. i made it using 3 rectangular pieces of glass (0.5cm) on a glass triangular base ..with obviously a hollow part in the middle it worked perfectly fine with water i got n=1.33...
  32. Breo

    A question about a visual effect on a rotating prism

    Hello folks, I was playing with a rectangular prism 4x4x3 (almost a cube) and I was giving him a rotating movement with the hand over the table so I could see a visual effect I have seen many times in my life and now I remembered to ask about it. So when I give to it an impulse and it start...
  33. J

    Angle of refraction through a prism

    Homework Statement In a physics lab, light with a wavelength of 570nmtravels in air from a laser to a photocell in a time of 17.5ns . When a slab of glass with a thickness of 0.890m is placed in the light beam, with the beam incident along the normal to the parallel faces of the slab, it takes...
  34. M

    Volume of Prism: Length & Width (y^3-y, y-1)

    if a swimming pool has a volume of y^3-y and a height of y-1 then what is the length and width?
  35. Prashasti

    Prism Experiment: Seeing a Wide Spectrum of Light?

    What would happen if two triangular prisms are kept side by side , in the same way? I mean, none of them is in an inverted position. Would this arrangement give a wide spectrum of light?
  36. M

    Dispersion of light through a prism and block, changing the incident angle

    There was a question in one of my study materials that asked if you increased the incident angle of white light striking the surface of a glass prism, would the colors disperse less or more. The answer was disperse more. I didn't have an answer because I saw a conflict between the two...
  37. adi adi

    Prism : what if incident angle is greater than apex angle?

    Homework Statement incident angle : 60 degree apex angle : 30 degree prism refraction index : 1,6 deviation angle : ? Homework EquationsThe Attempt at a Solution
  38. H

    Linear polarization in a glass prism

    Homework Statement Unpolarized light is reflected internally in the point P in a glass prism. When the prism is located in air, β is the critical angle of total reflection. I am going to calculate for the following problems: a) If the prism is submerged into water the reflected light becomes...
  39. L

    Color through a prism on black and white surfaces.

    When looking through a triangular prism, I found that a black shape on a white back ground causes the blue end of the spectrum to be on the top of the black shape, and the red/yellow end is directed towards the bottom. The reverse is true for a white shape on a black background. Why is this?
  40. P

    Finding Expected Lateral Displacement From a Risley Prism

    Homework Statement Find the expected lateral displacement for a spot of light at a power of 6^{∆}. Distance from prism to where displacement was measured (b) = 62.2cm. The following displacements (x) were measured from the power given on the knob of the prism: 3^{∆} = 1.80cm 6^{∆}...
  41. phosgene

    Maximise the volume of a rectangular prism with 2 constraints

    Homework Statement Maximise the volume of a rectangular prism with the following constraints: the surface area must equal 2m^2 and the total edge length must be 12m. Homework Equations Using Lagrange multipliers, we construct the function we want to optimise with h(x,y,z, λ_{1}...
  42. G

    Can a Magnifying Glass and Prism Create an Ignitable Rainbow?

    Can combining a magnifying glass and a prism make a rainbow capable of ignition?
  43. M

    Equation to a rectangular Prism

    Hello, I am trying to understand the concept of solid geometry(spheres, cubes, polyhedra etc) as a function of their co-ordinates. for example, the general ellipsoid, is a quadratic surface which is given in Cartesian coordinates by: (x^2/a^2)+(y^2/b^2)+(z^2/c^2)=1 a,b,c being the semi axis...
  44. B

    Need help with angle of incidence of light through a prism

    Homework Statement The direction of the ray of light enters equilateral 60° glass prism normal to the surface as shown in attached image refracted index of the prism material for the violet light is 1.651 (a) What is the angle of incidence on the surface A-B? (b) Does total internal...
  45. S

    Understanding Prism Deviation Angle in Optics

    1. Dear all Hello My name is Shamim and I am a student in high school and having 15 years old. I am a newcomer in this forum. I have found this great forum from internet while I was searching into that. I am really interested too much to physics and actually trying to learn more about that. I...
  46. S

    Can You Master Drawing Ray Diagrams for Prisms Using Snell's Law?

    How to draw ray daigrams for prisms.
  47. G

    A ray of light through a prism

    Homework Statement A light ray in air strikes the right-angle prism shown in the figure (Figure 1) (∠B=28.0∘). This ray consists of two different wavelengths. When it emerges at face AB, it has been split into two different rays that diverge from each other by 8.50∘ . Find the index of...
  48. D

    Why is there only one minimum deviation point for a prism?

    I'm having an issue in comprehending the minimum deviation offered by a prism. The fact that we could use the symmetry argument about the angle of incidence and angle of emergence being equal for minimum deviation make sense to me but I couldn't understand why we can be so sure of exactly 1 such...
  49. P

    Derivatives, rates of change (trapezoidal prism)

    1. A water trough is 10 m long and a cross-section has the shape of an isosceles trapezoid that is 30 cm wide at the bottom, 80 cm wide at the top, and has height 50 cm. If the trough is being filled with water at the rate of 0.2 m^3/min, how fast is the water level rising when the water is 30...
  50. D

    Moment of Inertia (Triangular Prism)

    Homework Statement A triangular prism (like a box of toblerone) of mass M, whose ends are equilateral triangles parallel to the xy plane with side 2a, is centered on the origin with its axis along the z axis. Find its moment of inertia for rotation about the z axis. Without doing any...
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