American Board of Opticianry (ABO) Practice Test

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What do prisms bend light towards?

  1. All colors

  2. Base

  3. Ray

  4. Apex

The correct answer is: Base

Prisms are triangular or polygonal glass pieces that refract, or bend, light when it passes through them. Each surface of the prism refracts light differently, based on its angle and surface, and the overall shape and angle of the prism. When light enters the prism, it slows down and bends towards the base, which is the flat bottom surface of the prism. Bending light in this manner allows prisms to create the rainbow spectrum of colors that we see when light is refracted. The other options are incorrect because prisms do not bend light towards all colors, individual rays or an apex point. Rather, the base is the only direction that light is consistently bent towards in a prism.

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