Which one of the following processes explains the splitting of a beam of white light into its constituent colours?

The process of splitting white light into its constituent colors is known as dispersion [1]. This phenomenon occurs because white light is composed of multiple colors, each having a different wavelength [4]. When white light enters a medium like a glass prism, these different wavelengths travel at different speeds and undergo refraction at different angles [1]. Specifically, red light bends the least while violet light bends the most, causing the colors to emerge along distinct paths and form a spectrum [4]. Isaac Newton was the first to demonstrate this using a glass prism, proving that white light is a combination of these colors rather than the prism adding color to the light [1]. While refraction is the underlying mechanism that causes the bending, the specific term for the resulting separation into a color band is dispersion [1].

Sources

1. [1] Science , class X (NCERT 2025 ed.) > Chapter 10: The Human Eye and the Colourful World > Activity 10.2 > p. 167
2. [4] https://www.cabinet.ox.ac.uk/newtons-prism-experiment-0