Prism

Prisms are an important part of physics since they are related to light and its characteristics. They can be also useful in our daily life. The functioning of the prism depends on how light is projected on it and how it is refracted. The working principles of the prism depend on the angle of the light, the material of the prism, the angle between the surfaces, the polishing, etc.

What is a prism? 

A prism is a glass surface used for reflecting and refracting light. It is an optical implement and the angle of the light and the interface results in the refraction. It has three dimensions and the two similar types of shapes face each other in the construction. Those are called the bases of the prism. The surface which is above those two surfaces is considered the height of the prism. The surfaces are flat and have polish. The surfaces could be triangular, rectangular, polygonal, or in any other shape. To know how fast light passes through a surface, a refractive index is used in dealing with the experiments which use prisms.

Types of Prism

Glass Prism 

This type of prism has two triangles and three rectangles on the sides. The light after entering this prism is deviated twice, first after its entrance and then before its exit. The surface is transparent as the material is glass. Since different rays have different wavelengths, they are separated while passing through this prism.

Nicol Prism 

This type of prism can also be known as a polarizer. They are used for the polarization of light by eliminating the ordinary one of all the rays and by reflecting the extraordinary ones. It is used as an optical implement. Light without polarization enters the prism from the left side and then it is refracted while passing through the bottom part of the prism. Calcite is used as the material for creating this prism, they are rhomboid in shape and cut at 68 degrees and then joined with a diagonal angle. 

Dispersive Prism

This prism is used for the dispersion of light or the splitting of light into seven basic colors. When a light ray is passed through this type of prism, it breaks into seven elements, which are the colors of the rainbow. When Sir Isaac Newton first started his experiments using a prism, this type of prism played a pivotal role in early research. To understand how light is refracted, the minimum angle has to be calculated, which is necessary for deviating the light. According to toa the angle in which the light ray is being deviated, it can be thick or thin in formation. 

However, prisms can also be divided according to the shape of their surface. For example, a prism with triangular surfaces is known as a triangular prism, likewise, one with rectangular surface areas is called a rectangular prism. Similarly, they can be divided into pentagonal, hexagonal, polygonal prisms. 

Working of the prism

The prism works with the reflection and the refraction of the light and it provides the surface for the separation of each component of the light. When the light is projected on the screen, it is called spectrum and when it is split into different rays because of their difference in wavelength and difference in speed while traveling in a different medium, like passing through the glass, it is called dispersion. Because of the difference between the two, we get different results with the help of the prism.

Conclusion

Thus prisms can be a useful way to understand the nature, characteristics, and functioning of the light. But it is not easy to understand the prisms and their variations without the relevant geometric formulas and the theories of physics. So, geometry and Newtonian physics should be studied to understand the prisms and their workings in a better way. It is also helpful to understand mathematical formulas for calculating the surface, area, volume, and other parts of the prism.