Question

Splitting of white light into different colours is called as

• A. Refraction of light
• B. Reflection of light
• C. Scattering of light
• D. Dispersion of light

Hint:

Dispersion occurs because different colours of light have different wavelengths and bend differently in a prism.

Answer 1

The Correct Option is D

Concept:
White light is made up of seven different colours. When white light passes through a prism, different colours bend by different amounts because each colour has a different wavelength. As a result, white light splits into its constituent colours. This phenomenon is known as dispersion of light. The seven colours obtained are: \[ VIBGYOR \] \[ \text{Violet, Indigo, Blue, Green, Yellow, Orange, Red} \]

Step 1: Understanding the phenomenon.
When white light enters a prism:
• Each colour travels with a different speed inside the prism.
• Different colours bend differently.
• Violet bends the most and red bends the least. Hence, the light spreads into different colours. This process is called dispersion. \[ \boxed{\text{Splitting of white light} = \text{Dispersion}} \]

Step 2: Analyzing the remaining options.

• Refraction means bending of light.
• Reflection means bouncing back of light.
• Scattering means spreading of light in different directions due to particles. Only dispersion refers to separation of colours. Therefore, the correct answer is: \[ \boxed{(4)\ \text{Dispersion of light}} \]