Prism and Rainbow

Class 10 Science: the human eye and the colourful world (dispersion)

Shine white light through a glass prism and split it into a rainbow. Then join the colours back together.

Words to know

Dispersion
White light splitting into its colours.
Spectrum
The band of colours: VIBGYOR.
Refraction
Light bending as it passes from one material to another.
Prism
A triangular block of glass that bends and splits light.

Quick check

Answer 3 questions to check what you learned.

1. Which colour bends the most in a prism?
2. A rainbow forms when sunlight passes through…
3. What does VIBGYOR stand for?

Try at home

On a sunny morning, stand with the Sun behind you and spray a fine mist of water from a garden hose. Can you make a rainbow?

Next, try a full lab

Refraction Geometric Optics All Class 9–10 labs