Illinois Vision Certification Practice Test

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Prepare for the Illinois Vision Certification Test. Master key concepts with flashcards and multiple choice questions that include hints and explanations. Boost your confidence and ace your exam!

Each practice test/flash card set has 50 randomly selected questions from a bank of over 500. You'll get a new set of questions each time!

Practice this question and more.

When light enters a prism at an angle, where is the light bent towards?

The apex of the prism
The base of the prism
The side of the prism
The center of the prism

The correct answer is: The base of the prism

When light enters a prism at an angle, its path is altered due to refraction. The bending of light occurs because the speed of light changes as it moves from one medium (air) into another medium (the glass of the prism). This change in speed results in the light being bent towards the base of the prism. In a typical triangular prism, the apex is the point where the sides meet, while the base is the flat edge opposite the apex. As light enters the prism and slows down, it refracts towards the base. This is consistent with the principle of refraction, which states that light bends towards the denser medium (in this case, glass) when entering at an angle. As a result, upon entering, the light rays move towards the wider part of the prism, which is the base, rather than the apex, sides, or center of the prism. This behavior is fundamental in optics and is crucial for understanding how prisms separate light into its constituent colors through dispersion.