INTRODUCTION In optics, a prism is a transparent optica element with flat, polished surfaces that refracts light. The exact angles between the surfaces depend on the application. The traditional geometrical shape is that of a triangular prism with a triangular base and rectangular sides, and in colloquial use “prism” usually refers to this type. Some types of optical prism are not in fact in the shape of geometric prisms. Prisms can be made from any material that is transparent to the wavelengths for which they are designed. Typical materials include glass, plastic and fluorite. Prism can be used to break light up into its constituent spectral colors (the colors of the rainbow). Prisms can also be used to reflect light, or to split light into components with different polarizations. Before Isaac Newton, it was believed that white light was colorless, and that the prism itself produced the color. Newton’s experiments demonstrated that all the colors already existed in the light in a heterogeneous fashion, and that “corpuscles” (particles) of light were fanned outbecause particles with different colors traveled with different speeds through the prism. It was only later that Young and Fresnel combined Newton's particle theory with Huygens’ wave theory to show that color is the visible manifestation of light’s wavelength. Newton arrived at his conclusion by passing the red color from one prism through second prism and found the color unchanged. From this, he concluded that the colors must already be present in the incoming light and white light consists of a collection of colors. As the white light passes through the triangular prism, the light separates into the collection of colors: red, orange, yellow, green, blue, indigo and violet. This collection of colors formed by the prism is called the spectrum. The separation of white light into its spectrum is known as dispersion. Dispersion occurs because each color travels through the prism at different speeds. Violet travels the slowest through the prism; hence we can see it refracting the most. On the other hand, red passes through at a much fast rate which makes its angle of refraction less, hence red is too scarce to be 1-1-8Say ea eke) The refractive index of the liquid Is given by the formula: Ee) by Tn) CTMitta May aaKoa ty Mae (ba) mM ee AL r= angle of refraction Mle Ron mmoles alot A = angle of prism FLUIDS adv Noun 3PRECAUTIONS: ¢ The angle of incidence should lie between 35° - 60°. ¢ The pins should be fixed vertical. ¢ The distance between the two pins should not be less than 10mm. ¢ Arrow heads should be marked to represent the incident and emergent rays. bert ¢ The same angle of prism should be used for all the observations. SOURCES OF ERRORS: ¢ Pin pricks may be thick. ¢ Measurement of angles may be wrong.