Verified Solution Science The Human Eye and the Colourful World

In the dispersion of white light by a prism, which colour deviates the most and which deviates the least? What is the reason for this difference in deviation?

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In the dispersion of white light by a prism, violet light deviates the most, and red light deviates the least. This difference arises because the refractive index of the prism material is greater for shorter wavelengths (violet) and smaller for longer wavelengths (red). A higher refractive index means a greater bending of light, hence violet light bends more than red light.

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