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Chapter 25 | Geometric Optics 1131
Figure 25.18 Light cannot easily escape a diamond, because its critical angle with air is so small. Most reflections are total, and the facets are placed so that light can exit only in particular ways—thus concentrating the light and making the diamond sparkle.
25.5 Dispersion: The Rainbow and Prisms
Everyone enjoys the spectacle of a rainbow glimmering against a dark stormy sky. How does sunlight falling on clear drops of rain get broken into the rainbow of colors we see? The same process causes white light to be broken into colors by a clear glass prism or a diamond. (See Figure 25.20.)
PhET Explorations: Bending Light
Explore bending of light between two media with different indices of refraction. See how changing from air to water to glass changes the bending angle. Play with prisms of different shapes and make rainbows.
Figure 25.19 Bending Light (http://cnx.org/content/m55440/1.4/bending-light_en.jar)
Learning Objectives
By the end of this section, you will be able to:
• Explain the phenomenon of dispersion and discuss its advantages and disadvantages.
