Try it on paper first. A hint, the key idea and the worked solution are here when you need them.
For a glass, the refractive index depends on the wavelength: , with in micrometres. White light falls at on a prism. Find the deviation of red light () and of violet light (), and the angle between them.
White light is a mixture of colours. Glass has a slightly larger refractive index for violet than for red, so violet is slowest and bent most: a prism spreads white light into a spectrum, red to violet.
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. Red. . Then , , , and .
Step 2. Violet. . Then , , , and .
Step 3. The spread. .
Answer: about for red and for violet, apart.
Check. Violet is bent more, as it must be. The spread is small, so the screen must be some distance away.
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