When bulb light passes through a prism

  • Thread starter Thread starter Physicist
  • Start date Start date
  • Tags Tags
    Bulb Light Prism
AI Thread Summary
When bulb light passes through a prism, it typically does not display distinct colors because incandescent bulbs emit a continuous spectrum rather than discrete lines. This continuous spectrum resembles that of the sun, which results in a blended output rather than separated colors. The observer noted that the light appeared almost as a line, likely due to the limited color range emitted by the bulb. Using a slit to narrow the light before it reaches the prism may help in observing a more defined spectrum. Overall, the characteristics of the light source significantly influence the visibility of color separation through a prism.
Physicist
Messages
43
Reaction score
0
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
 
Science news on Phys.org
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.
 
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?
 
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?
 
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:

Similar threads

Back
Top