What phenomenon occurs when white light passes through a prism?

When white light passes through a prism, it experiences dispersion. Dispersion is the process by which light separates into its component colors due to differences in the refractive index of the material for different wavelengths of light. The prism's shape causes the light rays to bend at various angles, allowing the colors—such as red, orange, yellow, green, blue, indigo, and violet (the spectrum)—to spread apart and become visible.

This phenomenon occurs because shorter wavelengths of light (like blue and violet) are refracted more than longer wavelengths (like red), resulting in the characteristic rainbow effect when the light exits the prism. The orderly arrangement of colors can be observed clearly when looking at the light emerging from the other side of the prism.