Chapter 14, Problem 2RQ

To determine

The color light that bends most in a prism.

Answer to Problem 2RQ

The violet light bends most in a prism.

Explanation of Solution

The white light is composed of so many wavelengths that correspond to different colors. The phenomenon of differentiating these wavelengths separately into its component colors is called dispersion. The categorization is based on the frequency of the component colors. The dispersion of light can be carried out via a prism. The dispersion is the resultant of two refractions and a reflection in a prism.

As the violet light has shorter wavelengths, it is slower than the longer wavelengths of red light. This, in turn, makes the violet light to experience more bending than the red lights.

Conclusion:

Therefore, the violet light bends most in a prism.