AL NOOR INTERNATIONAL SCHOOL
GRADE 8: PHYSICS NOTES
CHAPTER: 7 LIGHT
7.7 DISPERSION
Dispersion of light
When white light is passed through a glass prism it splits into its spectrum of
colours (in order violet, indigo, blue, green, yellow, orange and red) and this
process of white light splitting into its constituent colours is termed as
dispersion.
The dispersion of light is illustrated by the refraction of white light by a
glass prism
White light contains the wavelengths of all the colours of the spectrum
o Each colour has a different wavelength (and frequency), making up a
very narrow part of the electromagnetic spectrum
White light may be separated into all its colours by passing it
through a glass prism
o This is done by refraction
o Violet light is refracted the most, whilst red light is refracted the
least. The different colours in the spectrum of light have different
wavelengths. Therefore, the speed with which they all bend varies
depending on their wavelength, where violet bends the most,
having the shortest wavelength and red bends the least, having
the longest wavelength.
o This splits up the colours to form a spectrum
This process is similar to how a rainbow is created
The visible spectrum of light
Visible light is the only part of the spectrum detectable by the human eye
o In the natural world, many animals, such as birds, bees and certain
fish, can perceive beyond visible light and can see infra-red and UV
wavelengths of light
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The seven different colours of visible light waves correspond to
different wavelengths
Inorder of longest wavelength and lowest frequency to shortest
wavelength and highest frequency :
o Red
o Orange
o Yellow
o Green
o Blue
o Indigo
o Violet
RECOMBINING THE SPECTRUM
The seven colours of a spectrum can be recombined to give back white
light. Two identical glass prisms are placed such that their refracting
surfaces are in opposite direction (placed inverted). Here the first prism
disperses the white light into seven coloured rays. The second prism
receives all the seven coloured rays from the first prism and recombines
them into original white light. This is because the refraction produced by the
second prism is equal and opposite to that produced by the first prism. The
light coming out of the second prism will be white.
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7.8 COLOUR
Colour addition – primary and secondary colours.
You can make all the colours of light with just three primary colours. The
primary colours are red, green and blue. If you combine any two of the
three colours you get a secondary colour. If you mix all three primary
colours of light you get white light.
Red and Green light make yellow light.
Green and blue light make cyan light.
Red and blue light make magenta light.
It is not possible to make red, green or blue light using any combination
of other colours. That is why they are called primary colours.
Colour displays on televisions, computers, and phones
combine primary colours of light to produce the range of
colours that you see.
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COLOUR SUBTRACTION – FILTERS
Whenwhite light passes through a coloured filter, some colours are
absorbed whilst others are able to pass straight through
A red filter allows only red colour to pass through it. The filter has taken
away all the other colours except red. If you shine green or blue light
through a red filter then no light will get through. Your brain perceives
no light as black.If secondary colours are allowed to pass through red
filter only red colour will get through it.
A blue filter allows only blue colour to pass through it. The filter has taken
away all the other colours except blue. If you shine green or red light
through a blue filter then no light will get through. Your brain perceives no
light as black. If secondary
colours are allowed to pass through blue filter only blue colour will get
through it. A green filter allows only green colour to pass through it. The filter
has taken awayall the other colours except green. If you shine blue or red
light through a green filter then no light will get through. Your brain perceives
no light as black. If secondary colours are allowed to pass through green
filter only green colour will get through it.
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Secondary filters
A magenta filter allows only red,blue and magenta colours to pass through
it. The filter has taken away all the other colours except these. If you
shine green light through a magenta filter then no light will get through.
Your brain perceives no light as black.
A cyan filter allows only blue, green, cyan colours to pass through it. The
filter has taken away all the other colours except these. If you shine red
light through a cyan filter then no light will get through. Your brain
perceives no light as black.
A yellow filter allows only green, red, yellow colours to pass through it. The
filter has taken away all the other colours except these. If you shine blue
light through a yellow filter then no light will get through. Your brain
perceives no light as black.
If you shine red light through a green filter, then no light will get
through.
