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Look at the diagram of white light as it passes through a prism - OCR Gateway - GCSE Physics - Question 15 - 2018 - Paper 1
Question 15
Look at the diagram of white light as it passes through a prism. A spectrum of colours is seen. It ranges from red to violet. Why does the violet light refract mor... show full transcript
Worked Solution & Example Answer:Look at the diagram of white light as it passes through a prism - OCR Gateway - GCSE Physics - Question 15 - 2018 - Paper 1
Step 1
Why does the violet light refract more than the red light?
Answer
Violet light refracts more than red light primarily due to its higher frequency and shorter wavelength. When light passes through a prism, it changes speed depending on the wavelength of the light. Violet light travels slower in the prism compared to red light. Consequently, the greater change in speed for violet light results in a larger angle of refraction.
Answer Choice:
The correct answer is B) Violet light has the largest change in speed. This is because the speed of violet light decreases more significantly as it enters the denser medium of the glass prism, leading to a greater deviation from its original path than red light.