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A ray of white light, incident upon a glass prism, is dispersed into its various color components. Which one of the following colors experiences the greatest angle of refraction?

A. green
B. red
C. orange
D. violet

1 Answer

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Final answer:

Violet light, with a shorter wavelength, experiences the greatest angle of refraction when white light passes through a prism due to the dependency of the index of refraction on the wavelength of light.

Step-by-step explanation:

In the dispersion of white light by a prism, each color is refracted at a different angle due to the varying wavelengths and their interactions with the material of the prism. This phenomenon, known as dispersion, occurs because the index of refraction is wavelength-dependent. Hence, colors with shorter wavelengths (e.g., violet, 410 nm) are refracted more than colors with longer wavelengths (e.g., red, 660 nm).

For a glass prism, which is the context illustrated in figures related to the dispersion of white light and the angles at which different colors emerge (noted as OR and Oy), the color that experiences the greatest angle of refraction is violet. As such, among the options provided, violet (Option D) is the color that would experience the greatest angle of refraction when a ray of white light is incident upon a glass prism.

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