What happens to the speed of different colors of light when they enter a glass prism?

Source: JAMB · 2024

What happens to the speed of different colors of light when they enter a glass prism?

  1. They all slow down equally
  2. Red light slows down more than violet light
  3. Violet light slows down more than red light ✓
  4. They all speed up equally
Explanation

Light slows down when it enters glass. The amount depends on the colour: glass has a higher refractive index for violet light than for red light.

Since n = speed in air ÷ speed in glass, a higher n means a lower speed in glass. So violet light slows down more than red light.

That is why violet bends the most and red the least, and a prism splits white light into a spectrum.

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