DRIVING QUESTION: Why does the prism only reflext a image of a rainbow using white light? Why doesn't it work using a laser?

Introduction: With my project I will anwer the following questions, Why does an imagr of a rainbow show when using a white light? Why doesn't a laser show an image of a rainbow? What is all this called?

Physics Principles:

Laser :monochromatic( one color) light

Index Refraction

Refraction

Materials:

A Prism

3D glasses

Laser

Flashlight

Process: My project has to do with the physics behind the phenomenon known as the "rainbow". Through out my research I came to find that the reason why rainbows occur is because of something called "Refraction." Although, with this project I learned about two different types of refraction's, "Index Refraction and "Total Refraction. " I also came to find that Rainbows do not appear with a monochromatic( one color) light, which is a laser. You need to use a white light or sunlight through a prism. That is what creates the rainbow. So what I did was that I was given a flash light , a laser, some prisms and what I did was that I first had to research what the different types of refractions were and what they did Here's what they mean and do, Total refraction occurs when an indecent waves on an interface between two medias with opposite refractive signs is completely transmitted. and "index Refection is the ratio of the velocity of light in a vacuum to that in a medium. Knowing this I was able to understand how and why rainbows occur. A "Rainbow is an optical and meteorological phenomenon that is caused by both refleaction abd refraction, the rainbow is created by light being refracted when entering a droplet of water and reflected inside the back of the water droplet.

Knowing this I used the materials that were given to me to try and create my own rainbow and explain the physics behind it all. I was given prisms, a laser, and a flashlight. With these materials I first did some research on the prisms and came to find that a mini rainbow is created when I used the flashlight and pointed it at the prism. The I tried to create a rainbow with the laser but it didn't work because the laser is a monochromatic( one color) light. That's when I found that it only works when using while light through a prism. That is why it worked when I used the flashlight, because that is white light. It can also work with sunlight. A lot of this also depends on the angle that you point the light to that's what causes the different colors.

Safety Guidelines: It is very important to remember to keep the light coming from the laser away from your eyes and /or the people around you eyes'. Due to the fact that the laser could damage the eyes very severely. The green laser does the most damge so when demonstrating your project keep away from your viewers eyes.

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