Defraction of Light: Why White Ray of Light Refracts in Prism

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SUMMARY

The discussion clarifies that white light refracts in a prism due to its composition of multiple colors, each with different frequencies. When white light passes through a prism, the varying speeds of these colors cause the light to bend. In contrast, when light reflects off a plain mirror, its speed remains unchanged, resulting in no refraction. This fundamental difference explains the behavior of light in these two scenarios.

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Why white ray of light gets refracted in prism but not in plain mirror?
 
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welcome to pf!

hi vinanxi! welcome to pf! :smile:

because white light is a mixture of rays of different colours (different frequencies), all going at the same speed in vacuum or in air

when they go through a prism, they move at different speeds, but if they just bounce off a mirror, their speed is not affected :wink:
 

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