Prisms Flashcards
What does a prism operate on?
at least 2 successive refractions
Prism deviation angle
=incident ray angle to the normal + emerging ray angle to the norm - A(angle of apex)
What is the prism deviation angle?
angle between the emerging and incident ray, dependent on prism geometry (apex angle), angle of incidence, and prism material (rafractive index)
What will give you the most deviation in a prism?
least symmetry
what happens when there is minimum deviation in a prism?
incident angle and emerging angle are equal
maximum deviation in a prism
angle of incidence is 90 degrees.
Right angle prism
apex 90, sides 45, total internal reflection
When can total internal reflection occur?
going from a thick medium to a thinner medium
retro-reflecting prism
Used to restore image. total internal reflection
thin prism deviation
small apex (less than 30). it =(N-1)xA
for a glass (n=1.5) thin prism, the deviation is…
0.5 x A
Prentice’s Rule
prism power=(ray deviation in cm)/(distance measured in cm)
In a thin glass prism in the air
deviation is from the apex towards the base
Prism combinations
break into X and Y components
Color in physics
No such thing, it is just a perception of wavelengths
