A 60° prism has a refractive index of 1.64 for blue light and 1.61 for red light. Calculate the difference in the angle of emergence from the opposite face of the prism for a beam of red light and a beam of blue light that are both incident at an angle of 60⁰. A) 0.4° B) 0.0° C) 1.3° D) 3.9° E) 2.7°

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Quizplus · Accepted Answer

The angle of deviation depends on the refractive index and the angle of incidence. The difference in refractive indices for blue and red light causes a difference in deviation angles. Calculating using the prism formula and Snell's law, the difference in the angle of emergence is approximately 2.7°.

A 60° Prism Has a Refractive Index of 1