Prism (optics)
In optics, a prism is a transparent optical element with flat, polished surfaces that refract light. At least two of the flat surfaces must have an angle between them. The exact angles between the surfaces depend on the application. The traditional geometrical shape is that of a triangular prism with a triangular base and rectangular sides, and in colloquial use "prism" usually refers to this type. Some types of optical prism are not in fact in the shape of geometric prisms. Prisms can be made from any material that is transparent to the wavelengths for which they are designed. Typical materials include glass, plastic and fluorite.
A prism can be used to break light up into its constituent spectral colors (the colors of the rainbow). Prisms can also be used to reflect light, or to split light into components with different polarizations.
Read more about Prism (optics): How Prisms Work, Prisms and The Nature of Light, In Optometry
Famous quotes containing the word prism:
“Neither can I do anything to please critics belonging to the good old school of “projected biography,” who examine an author’s work, which they do not understand, through the prism of his life, which they do not know.”
—Vladimir Nabokov (1899–1977)