When bulb light passes through a prism

In summary: When bulb light passes through a prism why doesn't it give different colors?From what I understood about light bulbs, it should give red, orange and yellow as descrete lines. Why doesn't this happens and it goes out of the prism almost as it enters?Thanks for the help everyone. I will try it again and see if I get a different result.
  • #1
Physicist
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When bulb light passes through a prism why doesn't it give different colors?

From what I understood about light bulbs, it should give red, orange and yellow as descrete lines. Why doesn't this happens and it goes out of the prism almost as it enters?

Thanks
 
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  • #2
I've never heard of that. Maybe the light source is just overpowering (washing out) the separate colour bands. Try shrouding it so it all goes through the prism.
 
  • #3
Physicist said:
When bulb light passes through a prism why doesn't it give different colors?
From what I understood about light bulbs, it should give red, orange and yellow as descrete lines. Why doesn't this happens and it goes out of the prism almost as it enters?
Thanks

I assume you have a flourescent light "bulb"? Incandescent light bulbs don't emit in discrete lines, but continuous spectra, just like the sun.

Are you projecting onto a white surface? What exactly do you see?
 
  • #4
Physicist said:
When bulb light passes through a prism why doesn't it give different colors?
From what I understood about light bulbs, it should give red, orange and yellow as descrete lines. Why doesn't this happens and it goes out of the prism almost as it enters?
Thanks

Are you passing the light through a slit before it reaches the prism, or are you just holding the prism up to the light from a light bulb?
 
  • #5
Incandescent light bulbs don't emit in discrete lines, but continuous spectra, just like the sun.

Oh thanks... I've just noticed this piont. Because in my mind I was comparing it with the case of Helium spectrum :redface:

Are you passing the light through a slit before it reaches the prism

yes..

I'm confused because the light came out of the prism almost as a line. Ok.. maybe because it doesn't have many colors so the spectrum is not very wide and that make it looks almost almost as a line. Am I right?
I need to try it again..

Thanks everyone
 
Last edited:

1. What is a prism?

A prism is a transparent object with flat, polished surfaces that can refract (bend) and reflect light. It is typically made of glass or plastic and has a triangular shape.

2. How does a prism affect light?

When light passes through a prism, it is bent or refracted due to the difference in speed of light in different media. This causes the light to separate into different colors, also known as a spectrum.

3. What is the relationship between the angle of incidence and the angle of refraction in a prism?

The angle of incidence, which is the angle at which light enters the prism, is always greater than the angle of refraction, which is the angle at which light exits the prism. This is known as the law of refraction or Snell's law.

4. How does the shape of a prism affect the way it refracts light?

The shape of a prism, specifically the angle of its faces, determines the amount and direction of refraction. A thin, acute-angled prism will cause more separation of colors, while a thick, obtuse-angled prism will cause less separation.

5. What are some practical applications of prisms in science and technology?

Prisms have many uses in science and technology, such as in optics for correcting vision, in cameras and projectors for redirecting light, in spectroscopy for analyzing the composition of materials, and in lasers for producing a focused beam of light.

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