Physics
Prism and spectrum
White light through a prism: dispersion, rainbow, total internal reflection.
What happens
White light enters a prism and leaves as a rainbow: blue bends more than red because the glass slows each wavelength differently. Rotate the prism, swap crown glass for flint, switch to sodium or hydrogen lamps to see their spectral lines, or add the second prism and fold the rainbow back into white.
Equations used in the module
Equations n(λ) = B + C/λ²; λ [μm] n₁ sin θ₁ = n₂ sin θ₂ δ = i+e−A; n = sin((A+δ_min)/2)/sin(A/2) n₁ > n₂, sin θ₁ > n₂/n₁: θ_reflected = θ₁ Δδ/Δλ ≈ (dn/dλ)(∂δ/∂n)
