N1-22: OPTICAL BOARD - PRISMS - SEPARATE AND RECOM

ID Code: N1-22
Purpose: Separate white light into its component colors with a prism and use an identical prism to recombine the light.
Description: Use the optical board with a single slit baffle and a convex lens to limit the size of the ray. The single ray is passed through a prism which separates the light into its component colors, which can be cast onto a white surface. Placing a second identical prism in the beam in the opposite orientation recombines the colors into a white light spot and directs the light in a ray parallel to the original ray.

Use a mirror to reflect the original dispersed light onto the screen, then move the support to the left to intercept the beam with the second prism, which will direct the beam onto the same spot after recombining. The optical element configuration is shown at the left (one prism) and at the right (two prisms) above The resulting "spectrum" for each configuration is shown below.

Availability: Available