Are you familiar with the beautiful rainbow colors when you hold a stained glass lampshades in front of the light? One of the coolest objects out there that can separate light into the colors of the rainbow is a glass prism. But how does this happen? For details on the science of how a glass prism works, visit:
Light bends as it passes through a glass table lampshades. This stuff bends, and it’s called refraction. Light of different colors bends at different angles. This is what causes the light to separate into its component colors: red, orange, yellow, green, blue, indigo, and violet. This marks a process called dispersion.
All you need is a glass prism to see a rainbow! Anything that emits light will work, including sunlight streaming in through a window, a flashlight or a lamp. Slope the glass prism toward the light and place the small bit of darkness and light toward the light source and wait to see rainbow colors appear on the surface opposite the light. You can even slide the prism over and see how the colors mix together.
Glass prisms are not only for science! They can also be employed creatively in photography and art. Photographers use prisms to do unique and dreamy things with their pictures. If they put a prism in front of the camera lens and tilt it, gorgeous light reflections and rainbow effects can be created. Sparkle (and color) are the benefits of glass prisms used by artists in jewelry and also home decorations and artwork.
Despite their simplicity, glass prisms are a source of fascination and inspiration for people of all ages. It magically transforms normal light into a dazzling array of colors. Whether for science, for photography, or even just for art: The glass prism reveals to us the splendour of our world.
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