This page describes an image Light Dispersion by a Triangular Prism
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Image caption:
This photograph shows a prism splitting a beam of white light into its component colors — a beautiful demonstration of optics, the branch of physics that studies how light behaves and interacts with materials. When white light enters the prism, different wavelengths (colors) bend by different amounts because of a process called refraction. This separation of colors produces a spectrum — similar to a rainbow — revealing that white light is actually made up of many colors combined going from blue, through green and yellow to red.
Understanding optics helps scientists and engineers design lenses, microscopes, telescopes, cameras, and many other tools that shape and control light for practical use. The way the prism disperses light into a spectrum is the same principle that makes rainbows form in the sky when sunlight passes through raindrops.
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Image credit: Kelvinsong Credit Link
Related glossary terms:
Light
, Optics
, Visible Spectrum
Image license: CC0 1.0 Universal (CC0 1.0) Public Domain Dedication CC0 1.0 Universal (CC0 1.0) Public Domain Dedication icons
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Captions in Different Languages:
Image caption: Questa fotografia mostra un prisma che scompone un raggio di luce bianca nei colori che lo compongono: una splendida dimostrazione di ottica, la branca della fisica che studia il comportamento della luce e la sua interazione con i materiali. Quando la luce bianca entra nel prisma, le diverse lunghezze d’onda (colori) subiscono deviazioni di entità diversa a causa di un processo chiamato rifrazione. Questa separazione dei colori produce uno spettro — simile a un arcobaleno — che rivela come la luce bianca sia in realtà costituita da molti colori combinati che vanno dal blu, passando per il verde e il giallo, fino al rosso.
La comprensione dell’ottica aiuta scienziati e ingegneri a progettare lenti, microscopi, telescopi, fotocamere e molti altri strumenti che modellano e controllano la luce per usi pratici. Il modo in cui il prisma disperde la luce in uno spettro è lo stesso principio che fa formarsi gli arcobaleni nel cielo quando la luce del sole attraversa le gocce di pioggia.
Image credit: Kelvinsong
Related glossary terms: Luce , Ottica , Spettro visibile Caption translation status: Not yet approved by a reviewer
Caption translators: Giuliana Giobbi
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