prism
Sign in to savetransparent optical element with flat, polished surfaces that refract light
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A prism is a transparent object with flat, polished surfaces that bends light as it passes through, splitting it into different colors or changing its direction. This property makes prisms useful in many applications, from scientific instruments that analyze light to optical devices in everyday technology.
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A familiar dispersive prism
An optical prism is a transparent optical element with flat, polished surfaces that are designed to refract light. At least one surface must be angled—elements with only two parallel surfaces are windows, not prisms. The most familiar type of optical prism is the triangular prism, which has a triangular base and rectangular sides. Not all optical prisms are geometric prisms, and not all geometric prisms would count as an optical prism. Prisms can be made from any material that is transparent to the wavelengths for which they are designed. Typical materials include glass, acrylic and fluorite.