Prism

A prism is a transparent object surrounded by two intersecting but non-parallel planes that can be used to split or disperse a light beam. Prism is one of the common components in optical instruments, which has a wide range of applications, such as digital equipment, science and technology, medical instruments and so on.

The side of the prism refers to the plane of incidence and exit of light, while the main section is the plane perpendicular to the side. According to the shape of the main section, prisms can be divided into three prisms, right-angle prisms, pentagonal prisms and other types. Among them, the main cross-section of the prism is triangular, usually there are two refractive surfaces, their angle is called the vertex angle, and the plane opposite the vertex angle is called the bottom surface.

Prism is widely used in optical instruments. For example, in spectroscopic instruments, prisms are used to decompose composite light into spectra. Such prisms are called "dispersion prisms", the most common of which are equilateral triangular prisms. In addition, in instruments such as telescopes and microscopes, prisms are also used to change the direction of light to adjust the imaging position.