Why does a plane glass not separte light? (but a prism does)

[physickkksss]

Hey guys, I think I know the answer but I wanted to confirm...

Is it that a plane glass also separates light (internally) but we can't see it because all the rays get refracted back to its original angle when it comes out

On the other hand, because the shape of a prism, light that exits a prism has been refracted from its original angle, thus we can see the different colors of different frequency

Here is a link that shows light rays going through plane vs prism
http://academic.greensboroday.org/~regesterj/potl/Waves/Refraction/RefractionA.htm


I just wanted to know whether this is the correct reason for why a PRISM is always used to show the separation of light

(not for any coursework, just wondering)

Thanks

 

[vanhees71]

That's correct!

 

[physickkksss]

cool thanks

:)

 

[chrisbaird]

A lens also separates white light, but it is http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chromatic_aberration" .

If you look closely at ray diagrams, you see that a plane of glass does shift the image slightly.

 

[sardar]

for your question. Yes, you are correct. The reason why a plane glass does not separate light is because the light rays are refracted back to their original angle when they exit the glass. This is due to the fact that plane glass has parallel surfaces, so the light rays do not experience any change in direction as they pass through it. On the other hand, a prism has non-parallel surfaces, causing the light rays to be refracted at different angles, resulting in the separation of different colors. This is known as dispersion.

In addition, the different colors of light have different frequencies, and when passing through a prism, they are refracted at different angles due to the varying speeds of light in different mediums. This is why we can see the different colors of light when it exits a prism.

Prisms are often used to demonstrate the separation of light because they are specifically designed to cause dispersion, making it easier to observe the different colors. However, as you mentioned, plane glass also separates light internally, but the effect is not as noticeable due to the parallel surfaces.

I hope this helps to clarify the concept for you. Keep up the curiosity and interest in science!