What happens to light when it passes through a prism?

Question

BlackTom AI · Accepted Answer

When light encounters a prism, its path changes due to the change in medium, which affects the light’s speed and direction. 
Option 1: 'Refracted by a prism' describes the bending of light as it enters and exits the prism, deviating from its original path because of the change in refractive index. This is a standard description of how prisms interact with light. 
Option 2: 'Absorbed by a prism' would imply the prism takes in light energy and converts it to something else, which is not generally how transparent prisms behave; most of the incident light is transmitted, with some reflection, rather than being absorbed. 
Option 3: 'Reflected by a prism' would mean the light merely bounces off the surface, which is not the primary interaction inside a typical prism. While there is some reflection at the surfaces, refraction is the dominant effect for standard prisms in basic explanations. 
Option 4: 'Split up by H2O' suggests that water chemical processes break light apart inside the prism; this is inaccurate in typical prism behavior. Although dispersion can separate light into colors within a prism, the descriptor here incorrectly attributes this to water or a splitting mechanism analogous to a chemical breakdown, which is not correct. 
In summary, the central process to explain is the change in direction due to refraction, with secondary considerations about reflection, absorption, and dispersion clarified to avoid common misconceptions about prism-light interactions.

Earth & Environmental Science 2025-26 2.6 Stars and Spectra Quiz - (25 Minutes ASYNC)

What happens to light when it passes through a prism?

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