AP Physics 2 Multiple Choice Questions on Dispersion

📚 Quick Study Guide

• 🌈 Dispersion: The phenomenon where the refractive index of a medium varies with the wavelength or frequency of light. This causes different colors of light to be refracted at different angles when passing through the medium.
• 🍎 Prism: A classic example showcasing dispersion, where white light separates into its constituent colors (the visible spectrum) after passing through a prism.
• 🌊 Wavelength and Refraction: Shorter wavelengths (e.g., violet, blue) generally experience greater refraction than longer wavelengths (e.g., red).
• 🧮 Cauchy's Equation: An empirical relationship that describes the dispersion of light: $n(\lambda) = A + \frac{B}{\lambda^2} + \frac{C}{\lambda^4}$, where $n$ is the refractive index, $\lambda$ is the wavelength, and $A$, $B$, and $C$ are medium-dependent coefficients.
• ☀️ Rainbows: A natural phenomenon caused by dispersion and reflection of sunlight in water droplets.
• 🧪 Applications: Dispersion is utilized in various optical instruments, such as spectrometers, to analyze the spectral composition of light sources.

🧪 Practice Quiz

1. Which of the following best describes dispersion?
   1. A) The bending of light as it passes from one medium to another.
   2. B) The separation of white light into its constituent colors.
   3. C) The reflection of light off a smooth surface.
   4. D) The interference of light waves.
2. What causes different colors of light to separate when passing through a prism?
   1. A) Diffraction
   2. B) Refraction
   3. C) Reflection
   4. D) Polarization
3. According to Cauchy's equation, how does the refractive index typically vary with wavelength?
   1. A) It increases linearly with wavelength.
   2. B) It decreases linearly with wavelength.
   3. C) It is inversely proportional to the square of the wavelength.
   4. D) It is independent of wavelength.
4. Which color of light typically undergoes the greatest refraction when passing through a dispersive medium?
   1. A) Red
   2. B) Green
   3. C) Blue
   4. D) Yellow
5. Rainbows are formed due to which phenomenon?
   1. A) Diffraction only
   2. B) Interference only
   3. C) Dispersion and reflection
   4. D) Polarization and refraction
6. Which of the following instruments utilizes dispersion to analyze light?
   1. A) Telescope
   2. B) Microscope
   3. C) Spectrometer
   4. D) Periscope
7. In the context of dispersion, what does a higher refractive index indicate?
   1. A) Slower speed of light in the medium
   2. B) Faster speed of light in the medium
   3. C) No change in the speed of light
   4. D) Light is completely absorbed