Notes:
- Because the altitude of the Sun over the
horizon changes daily, the water prism will
work better at some times of the year than
others. Sunlight will enter the prism di-rectly
in the winter when the Sun angle is
low in the sky. In the summer, the Sun
angle is very high and its light may not
enter the prism at the proper angle for
dispersion to take place. This problem
can be corrected by using a mirror to
reflect the light at the proper angle.
- Commercial versions of water prisms are
available from science-supply catalogs.
For Further Research:
- What scientist first used the light dispers-ing
properties of the prism to analyze
visible light and color?
- Compare the light dispersion of a glass or
plastic prism to the water prism.
- A simpler water prism can be made with a
shallow pan of water and a pocket mirror.
Refer to the diagram below for set up
guidance.
- Learn about rainbows. How is sunlight
dispersed by water droplets? What other
human-made and natural things disperse
sunlight?
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