1.

Differentiate between a glass slab and a glass prism. What happens when a narrow beam of (i) a monochromatic light, and (ii) white light passes through (a) glass slab and (b) glass prism?

Answer»
Glass slabGlass prism
In the case of a glass slab, the two interfaces the light ray has to pass are parallel to each other.In the case of a prism,  the two interfaces the light ray has to pass are not parallel to each each other and are inclined at an angle.
In this case the emergent ray is also a white light because the constituents of white light which are refracted at different angles at the first interface recombine at the second interface and emerge as a single white light.In this case, the effects of the first interface are not reversed and the colours separated at that first interface continue along different paths upon leaving the glass at the second interface. Hence we observe a spectrum on the other side.

(i) 

a) A Monochromatic light passes through the glass slab and refracts and emerged out. But we can observe the same color throughout. Even after emerging out 

b) When it is passed through a glass prism, it refracts and the refracted ray is parallel to one side of a prism. Here also, the color of the light doesn't change 

(ii) 

a) White light refracts and simultaneously, dispersion happens and it gets split into its constituent colours. 

b) Refraction happens and also dispersion happens and its constituent colours.


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