Have you ever gazed at a rainbow in the sky and wondered how all those beautiful colors appear? The secret lies in something fascinating. That secret is called ‘prism’. A prism is a special object – usually made of glass or plastic – that can split light into different colors. You see the sunlight we encounter every day isn’t just one color, it’s actually a combination of many colors. When light passes through a prism, it bends and separates into a spectrum of colors – just like a rainbow.

This happens because different colors of light bend by different amounts. The colors we see – red, orange, yellow, green, blue, indigo, and violet – are all part of this spectrum. This amazing phenomenon is known as ‘refraction’, which is just a fancy way of saying that light changes direction when it passes through something like glass or water.
Prisms come in many shapes, but the most common one is ‘triangular’. When you shine a beam of light through the narrow side of a triangular prism, it creates a stunning display of colors on the other side. That’s how the rainbow effect happens. The sunlight, or any white light, splits into its various colors because of the shape and material of the prism.
Now, you may wonder, “Can I see this for myself?” Absolutely! You can create your own mini rainbow at home, using a prism or with water in a glass. Just make sure that the light is bright, and also watch how it transforms into a beautiful display of colors. 
What is a Prism?
The question is what a ‘prism’ is? Well, the answer is, a prism is a solid, transparent object, often made of glass or plastic, with flat, polished surfaces. Most prisms are triangular in shape, with three rectangular sides and two triangular ends. Prisms are special because they can change the path of light.
The Many Types of Prisms
There are several types of prisms, each classified based on the shape of its base, as below:
Prism based on Shape of Bases
Prism depending on Cross-Section
1. Regular
2. Irregular
1. Triangular Prism
Base Shape: Triangle
Description: A triangular prism has two triangular bases and three rectangular lateral faces. The height of prism is the perpendicular distance between the triangular bases.
Example: A triangular roof of a house.
2. Rectangular Prism (Cuboid)
Base Shape: Rectangle
Description: A rectangular prism has two rectangular bases and four rectangular lateral faces. It is one of the most common types of prisms, and its lateral faces are all rectangles.
Properties: All angles in a rectangular prism are 90 degrees. If all the sides of the base are equal, it is a cube.
Example: A box or a brick.
3. Square Prism
Base Shape: Square
Description: A square prism is a special case of the rectangular prism where the base is a square. It has two square bases and four rectangular lateral faces.
Example: A dice.
4. Pentagonal Prism
Base Shape: Pentagon
Description: A pentagonal prism has two pentagonal bases and five rectangular lateral faces. The lateral faces are parallelograms, and the height is the distance between the two pentagonal bases.
Example: A five-sided building block.
5. Hexagonal Prism
Base Shape: Hexagon
Description: A hexagonal prism has two hexagonal bases and six rectangular lateral faces. The shape of the base is a hexagon, and the height is the perpendicular distance between these two hexagonal faces.
Example: A honeycomb structure.
6. Octagonal Prism
Base Shape: Octagon
Description: An octagonal prism has two octagonal bases and eight rectangular lateral faces. It is a more complex form of prism with a base shaped like an octagon.
Example: Some architectural designs use octagonal prisms.
7. General Prism (‘n’-gon Prism)
Base Shape: ‘n’-sided polygon
Description: A general prism has two congruent bases that are n-gons (polygons with “n” sides). The number of lateral faces will be equal to the number of sides in the base. The lateral faces are rectangles or parallelograms.
Example: A decagonal prism (with 10 sides) or a dodecagonal prism (with 12 sides).
Apart from regular and irregular prism can be classified into two more types bases on the alignment of the identical bases.
1. Right Prism
Base Shape: Any polygon (like the types above)
Description: A right prism is a prism where the lateral edges are perpendicular to the bases. This means the height is the perpendicular distance between the two bases, and the lateral faces are rectangles (not parallelograms).
Example: A right triangular prism, right rectangular prism, etc.
2. Oblique Prism
Base Shape: Any polygon (like the types above)
Description: An oblique prism is a prism where the lateral edges are not perpendicular to the bases. In this case, the lateral faces are parallelograms instead of rectangles. The height is still the perpendicular distance between the bases.
Example: An oblique triangular prism, oblique hexagonal prism, etc.
How Does a Prism Work?
To understand how a prism works, we need to know a little about light. The light we see every day, called white light, is actually a combination of many colors. These colors include red, orange, yellow, green, blue, indigo, and violet. Together, they make up what we call the visible spectrum.        When light travels through the air and enters a prism, it slows down because glass is denser than air. This causes the light to bend, a process known as refraction. But here’s the interesting part: each color in white light bends by a slightly different amount because they have different wavelengths.
Example: Red light has the longest wavelength, so it bends the least.
Violet light has the shortest wavelength, so it bends the most.
As the light exits the prism, the colors spread out, forming a band of separate colors. This band of colors is called a spectrum, just like the rainbow you see in the sky.
Where Do We Use Prisms?
Prisms are not just tools for creating rainbows. They have many practical uses:
Cameras and Binoculars
Prisms help redirect light in these devices to give us clear and sharp images.
Scientific Instruments: Scientists use prisms in spectroscopes to study the properties of light and learn more about the materials around us.
Art and Decoration
Prisms are often used in chandeliers and decorations because they can scatter light beautifully, filling a room with colorful patterns.
Experiment with a Prism
Try to use a prism at home. Here’s a simple activity:
-    Find a clear glass or plastic prism.
-    Place it near a sunny window or under a bright light source.
-    Hold a white piece of paper beneath the prism.
-    Watch as the prism splits the light into a rainbow of colors on the paper!
This experiment shows how white light is made up of many colors. It’s also a great way to see how light interacts with objects in our world.
Why Should We Learn About Prisms?
Prisms are not just fascinating tools, these give us a glimpse into the hidden world of light and color. By learning how these work, we can understand how light shapes the world around us – from the way rainbows appear after a storm to the colors we see in art and nature. Exploring prisms is like opening a door to new discoveries and understanding the science that makes our world so colorful and bright.
How Prisms Are Used in Real Life?
Prisms, with their ability to refract light, are fascinating optical devices that play a significant role in various areas of life and technology. A prism is typically a solid, transparent object with a polygonal cross-section, most commonly made of glass or plastic, which bends light as it passes through. This bending, or refraction, leads to numerous practical applications.
Here are several key ways prisms are utilized in real life:
1. Optics -- Splitting and Analyzing Light: One of the most famous uses of prisms is in the field of optics, where they serve to split light into its constituent colors. This process is known as dispersion and occurs because light of different wavelengths (colors) refracts by different amounts when passing through the prism. The most well-known natural example of this phenomenon is the rainbow. Prisms are widely used in optical instruments such as spectrometers, which analyze light, and in telescopes, where prisms help bend the light path to improve image clarity and reduce the size of the telescope. Another common use is in binoculars, where prisms help invert the image to be correctly oriented for the viewer. Prisms are crucial in optical systems, improving vision, measurement, and scientific analysis.
2. Architecture and Design-- Structural and Aesthetic Application: In architecture, prisms are employed both for their geometric properties and aesthetic qualities. Architects often incorporate prism-like shapes in building designs due to their structural integrity. Triangular or polygonal prisms offer exceptional strength when used as basic shapes for columns or supports, allowing them to efficiently bear weight and withstand stress. Prisms are used in creating innovative designs for windows or facades, where they manipulate light in unique ways. The way light bends through a transparent prism can produce stunning visual effects, adding an element of artistry to the structure while also serving functional purposes like increasing natural light within a building.
3. Engineering and Manufacturing -- Precision in Tool Creation: In engineering and manufacturing, prisms are frequently used in the production of parts and tools that require high angular precision. Many measuring instruments, such as laser devices, rely on the optical properties of prisms to direct or split laser beams accurately. Prisms are also essential in the creation of components for machinery, where their precise angles ensure that components fit together accurately. For instance, optical prisms are found in devices like autocollimators, which measure small angles or alignments in mechanical parts. This is important in fields like aerospace engineering, where precision is paramount. Furthermore, prisms are incorporated into cutting-edge manufacturing technologies such as 3D printing, where optical systems based on prisms help refine the accuracy of printed object.
4. Education and Scientific Research -- Understanding Light and Matter: Prisms are also commonly used in classrooms and research settings for educational purposes. By using prisms to demonstrate how light splits into the colors of the spectrum, teachers can help students better understand the properties of light and color. This fundamental concept is vital in fields such as physics, where the study of light behavior is essential to understanding the nature of matter and energy.
5. Art and Photography: In photography, prisms can be used creatively to manipulate light. Photographers often employ prisms to distort images, create reflections, or add unusual color effects to their photos. By placing a prism between the camera lens and the subject, light is refracted in ways that produce a range of artistic effects, including double images, unique color patterns, and dramatic lighting contrasts.
Conclusion
From optical instruments to architectural design, engineering, and art, prisms play a crucial role in enhancing our understanding and interaction with light. Their ability to bend and split light makes them indispensable in various technologies, while their geometric shapes provide both strength and aesthetic beauty in design. As our technologies and artistic techniques continue to evolve, the versatile use of prisms is likely to expand even further, revealing even more innovative applications.