What is a spectrum?
Q: What is a spectrum?
A: A spectrum is a band of several colors, including violet, indigo, blue, green, yellow, orange and red. It can be seen when the Sun's light is passed through a prism and allowed to gather on a white screen.
Q: What is spectroscopy?
A: Spectroscopy is the study of spectra.
Q: What causes the separation of white light into its component colors?
A: The shorter wavelengths are refracted more than the longer wavelengths which causes the separation of white light into its component colors.
Q: How does Snell's law determine the angle of refraction?
A: Snell's law determines the angle of refraction by using the angle of incidence and the refractive indexes.
Q: Why does red appear closest to the line perpendicular to the surface material?
A: Red appears closest to this line because it has the longest visible wavelength and will be bent least when passing through a prism.
Q: Is there always an order for rainbows produced by prisms?
A: Yes, rainbows produced by prisms will always be in this order - red, orange, yellow, green, blue, indigo and violet.
