Differentiate between a glass slab and a glass prism. What happens when a narrow beam of
(i) a monocromatic light and
(ii) white light passes through
(a) glass slab and (b) glass prism?
• Prism has 2 inclined refracting surfaces whereas a glass slab has 2 parallel refracting surfaces.
i) When monochromatic light passes through a glass slab it gets displaced laterally whereas in prism it gets angularly displaced.
ii) When white light passes through a glass slab, it gets laterally displaced whereas in prism, dispersion takes place.