Separating light with a prism experiment
Inside the box, place the prism on a sheet of dark paper. Shine the flashlight beam through the hole and adjust the prism as shown in the diagram. Use coloured pencils or pens to trace the individual bands of light that you see. In what order are the colours? Can you come up with a mnemonic to help you memorise the sequence of colours in prismatic light?
Make It
In order to create a clearly visible spectrum of light with a prism,
it's best to work in a darkened room with a single source of light.
A cardboard box (such as a file box) makes a great prism box. Simply
cut a small rectangular opening on the side of the box near the bottom
edge, about 5 mm in width.
Finally, cut a second hole in the box and arrange two prisms so that
their spectra cross paths. What happens to the various colours of light
where they cross?
You will need:
· A prism (or two)
· A cardboard box (such as a file box)
· Coloured pencils or pens
· A sheet of plain white paper
· A flashlight or reading lamp
Also See:
Rainbows
and spectra
Colour
measuring equipment
What
is light?
