Dispersion in Physics refers to the phenomenon in which the speed of a wave depends on its frequency or wavelength, causing different components of a wave to travel at different speeds through a medium. This leads to the separation of a wave into its component frequencies.
Key Points:
- Occurs in Waves: Most commonly observed with light waves, but it can also occur in sound and water waves.
- Example – Light: When white light passes through a prism, it spreads out into its constituent colors (red, orange, yellow, green, blue, indigo, violet). This happens because each color has a different wavelength and bends (refracts) by a different amount.
- Refractive Index Dependence: The refractive index of a medium varies slightly with wavelength. Shorter wavelengths (like violet) are refracted more than longer ones (like red).
- Result: Dispersion causes rainbows, color fringes in lenses, and is essential in technologies like spectroscopy.
- Types:
- Material dispersion: Caused by the medium’s properties.
- Waveguide dispersion: Occurs in optical fibers due to their structure.
Conclusion:
Dispersion reveals how different frequencies of a wave behave differently in a medium, explaining colorful natural phenomena and aiding in scientific analysis.