Try it on paper first. A hint, the key idea and the worked solution are here when you need them.
A thin prism of crown glass has an angle of . Its refractive index is for red light, for yellow light and for blue light. Find the mean deviation of yellow light, the angle between the red and blue rays after the prism, and the dispersive power of the glass. Then find the deviation of yellow light when the same prism is under water, of refractive index .
For a prism, and . At minimum deviation, and . For a thin prism, , and the dispersive power is . A ray can leave a face only if the angle inside is smaller than the critical angle, .
Have you tried it?
Work it out on paper first. It is fine to get stuck or make a mistake: that is how we learn. When you are ready, go through the solution one step at a time, and check each step against your own.
Step 1. The mean deviation. .
Step 2. The angle of dispersion. .
Step 3. The dispersive power. .
Step 4. Under water. The relative index is . So .
Answer: , , and .
Check. Under water the prism bends light about four times less, because glass and water are close in index.
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