What is dispersion in optics?

In ordinary glass, which usually has the larger refractive index: red light or violet light?

Why does a prism separate white light into colors?

In glass, red light has \(n=1.51\) and violet light has \(n=1.53\). Which travels slower?

Find the speed of red light in a material with \(n=1.50\).

Light enters glass from air at \(40^\circ\). Find the refracted angle for red light with \(n=1.51\).

For the same incident angle \(40^\circ\), find the refracted angle for violet light with \(n=1.53\).

Red light has vacuum wavelength \(650\,\mathrm{nm}\) and blue light has vacuum wavelength \(450\,\mathrm{nm}\). If both enter the same material with indices \(n_r=1.51\) and \(n_b=1.53\), find their wavelengths in the material.

A material follows \(n(\lambda)=A+B/\lambda^2\), with positive \(B\). Explain why shorter wavelengths bend more strongly.

A narrow beam enters a material from air at \(50^\circ\). The refractive indices are \(n_r=1.48\) and \(n_v=1.54\). Find the angular separation between the red and violet refracted rays.

A material has \(n=1.500\) at \(700\,\mathrm{nm}\) and \(n=1.530\) at \(400\,\mathrm{nm}\). Over \(1.0\,\mathrm m\), find the arrival-time difference between these colors.

For a material with \(n(\lambda)=1.45+4.0\times10^{-15}/\lambda^2\), with \(\lambda\) in meters, find \(n\) at \(500\,\mathrm{nm}\).

A beam enters a dispersive material at \(45^\circ\). For two colors with \(n_1=1.46\) and \(n_2=1.50\), find the difference between their refracted angles.

Explain why a converging lens made from ordinary glass has chromatic aberration.

White light passes through a prism. Explain why the outgoing colors are spread in angle even though all colors enter at the same angle.

Two wavelengths in a material have refractive indices \(n_a\) and \(n_b\). Derive the difference in travel times over length \(L\).

For small index difference \(\Delta n\), explain qualitatively why larger incidence angles make color separation by refraction easier to observe.

A pulse contains red and blue components. The blue component has a larger refractive index in a fiber. Which component exits first, and why?

A material has \(n_v-n_r=0.020\). For a \(5.0\,\mathrm m\) path, estimate the red-violet time spread.

In a simplified rainbow model, explain why both refraction and internal reflection are needed.