| Key Term | Meaning |
|---|
| Dispersion | Splitting of white light into different colours when it passes through a prism. |
| White Light | Mixture of many wavelengths (many colours). |
| Monochromatic Light | Light consisting of a single wavelength (one colour), e.g. laser light. |
| Why Dispersion Happens | Different wavelengths travel at different speeds in glass and refract by different amounts. |
| Colour Bending | Red bends least (longest wavelength). Violet bends most (shortest wavelength). |
| Visible Spectrum Order | Memory Aid |
|---|
| Red → Orange → Yellow → Green → Blue → Indigo → Violet | ROYGBIV |
Exam Tip: When explaining dispersion, mention wavelengths, different speeds in glass, and different angles of refraction.
- Light entering a denser medium bends towards the normal.
- Light entering a less dense medium bends away from the normal.
- The frequency stays constant.
- The wavelength changes.