optics/ dispersion...SO CONFUSED

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yellowjellybean

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So when white light goes through a prism, does each wavelength bend at different angles because the n is different for each? I though n was intrinsic to a medium and is always the same. The index of refraction is related to the velocity of the wave by n=c/v so do both the n and the wavelength change??? Does the frequency change? Help 🙁
 
Yes the light is split according to wavelength. Shorter wavelength = more refraction. Frequency doesn't change.

I also thought n was determined by the medium...can anyone answer that question?
 
For most problems you can assume that the speed of all wavelengths in a certain media is the same. Mirrors, glasses and a lot of other day-to-day objects work with that assumption just fine.

If a more precise experiment is made, it can be determined that the speed varies just a little bit for different wavelengths in the same media. That phenomena is called dispersion. Besides the prism experiment it starts being noticeable in things like photo/video lenses as a color fringe at the edge of the objects.

Another way to think about this: Normally we accept that the Earth is a sphere. For certain more detailed measurements we actually have to account that it's somewhat different from that - it actually being a sphere squished a bit in a certain way. Dispersion is the same way - it's so small that it can be ignore a lot of times but it is there when more precise measurements need to be made.

Frequency does not change. Speed of propagation changes and that makes n change as well.
 
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