Section: Natural Sciences

36) When white light is directed through a glass prism a spectrum is formed by its

1. absorption
2. diffusion
3. reflection
4. refraction
5. dispersion
6. No Answer Selected

When a ray of light moves from one medium to another, such as air through glass, the ray bends. This is refraction. The different wavelengths of white light are, therefore, separated into the visible spectrum since each has its own refractive index.