What is Dispersion vs Scattering of Light ? āĻĒā§āĻšā§°ā§° āĻŦāĻŋāĻā§āĻā§ā§°āĻŖ āĻŦāύāĻžāĻŽ āĻĒā§āĻšā§°ā§° āĻŦāĻŋāĻāĻŋā§°āĻŖ
1. Definition / āϏāĻāĻā§āĻāĻž
i. Dispersion of Light(āĻĒā§āĻšā§°ā§° āĻŦāĻŋāĻā§āĻā§ā§°āĻŖ): Splitting of white light into its constituent colours. āĻŦāĻāĻž āĻĒā§āĻšā§°āĻ āĻāϝāĻŧāĻžā§° āĻŦāĻŋāĻāĻŋāύā§āύ ā§°āĻāϤ āĻāĻžāĻ āĻšā§ā§ąāĻž āĻĒā§ā§°āĻā§ā§°āĻŋāϝāĻŧāĻžāĨ¤
ii. Scattering of Light (āĻĒā§āĻšā§°ā§° āĻŦāĻŋāĻāĻŋā§°āĻŖ): Spreading of light in different directions by tiny particles. (āϏ⧰⧠āĻāĻŖāĻŋāĻāĻž āĻŦāĻž āĻ āĻŖā§ā§° āĻĻā§āĻŦāĻžā§°āĻž āĻĒā§āĻšā§° āĻŦāĻŋāĻāĻŋāύā§āύ āĻĻāĻŋāĻļāϤ āĻŦāĻŋāϝāĻŧāĻĒāĻŋ āϝā§ā§ąāĻžāĨ¤)
2. Cause / āĻāĻžā§°āĻŖ
i. Dispersion: Different colours bend by different amounts. (āĻŦāĻŋāĻāĻŋāύā§āύ ā§°āĻ āĻŦāĻŋāĻāĻŋāύā§āύ āĻĒā§°āĻŋāĻŽāĻžāĻŖā§ āĻŦā§āĻāĻā§āĨ¤)
ii. Scattering: Light interacts with particles or molecules in a medium. (āĻĒā§āĻšā§°ā§ āĻŽāĻžāϧā§āϝāĻŽā§° āĻāĻŖāĻŋāĻāĻž āĻŦāĻž āĻ āĻŖā§ā§° āϏā§āϤ⧠āĻā§ā§°āĻŋāϝāĻŧāĻž āĻā§°ā§āĨ¤)
3. Result / āĻĢāϞāĻžāĻĢāϞ
i. Dispersion: Produces a spectrum (VIBGYOR). (VIBGYOR ā§°āĻā§° āĻŦā§°ā§āĻŖāĻžāϞ⧠āϏā§āώā§āĻāĻŋ āĻā§°ā§āĨ¤)
ii. Scattering: Changes the colour or direction of light. (āĻĒā§āĻšā§°ā§° ā§°āĻ āĻŦāĻž āĻĻāĻŋāĻļ āϏāϞāύāĻŋ āĻā§°ā§āĨ¤)
4. Medium/Object / āĻŽāĻžāϧā§āϝāĻŽ āĻŦāĻž āĻŦāϏā§āϤā§
i. Dispersion: Seen with a prism or raindrops. (āĻĒā§ā§°āĻŋāĻāĻŽ āĻŦāĻž āĻŦā§°āώā§āĻŖā§° āĻā§āĻĒāĻžāϞāϤ āĻĻā§āĻāĻž āϝāĻžāϝāĻŧāĨ¤)
ii. Scattering: Seen with dust, smoke, or air molecules. (āϧā§āϞāĻŋ, āϧā§āĻā§ąāĻž āĻŦāĻž āĻŦāĻžāϝāĻŧā§ā§° āĻ āĻŖā§āϤ āĻĻā§āĻāĻž āϝāĻžāϝāĻŧāĨ¤)
5. Dependence / āύāĻŋā§°ā§āĻā§°āĻļā§āϞāϤāĻž
i. Dispersion: Depends on wavelength and refractive index. (āϤ⧰āĻāĻāĻĻā§ā§°ā§āĻā§āϝ āĻā§°ā§ āĻĒā§ā§°āϤāĻŋāϏ⧰āĻŖāĻžāĻāĻā§° āĻāĻĒā§°āϤ āύāĻŋā§°ā§āĻā§° āĻā§°ā§āĨ¤)
ii. Scattering: Shorter wavelengths scatter more strongly. (āϏ⧰⧠āϤ⧰āĻāĻāĻĻā§ā§°ā§āĻā§āϝ āĻ āϧāĻŋāĻ āĻŦāĻŋāĻāĻŋā§°āĻŋāϤ āĻšāϝāĻŧāĨ¤)
6. Example / āĻāĻĻāĻžāĻšā§°āĻŖ : i. Dispersion: Rainbow, prism spectrum. (ā§°āĻžāĻŽāϧā§āύā§, āĻĒā§ā§°āĻŋāĻāĻŽā§° āĻŦā§°ā§āĻŖāĻžāϞā§āĨ¤) ii. Scattering: Blue sky, red sunset. (āύā§āϞāĻž āĻāĻāĻžāĻļ, ā§°āĻāĻž āϏā§ā§°ā§āϝāĻžāϏā§āϤāĨ¤)
7. Use / āĻŦā§āĻ¯ā§ąāĻšāĻžā§°
i. Dispersion: Used to study colours of light. (āĻĒā§āĻšā§°ā§° ā§°āĻ āĻ āϧā§āϝāϝāĻŧāύ⧰ āĻŦāĻžāĻŦā§ āĻŦā§āĻ¯ā§ąāĻšāĻžā§° āĻā§°āĻž āĻšāϝāĻŧāĨ¤)
ii. Scattering: Explains sky colour and Tyndall effect. (āĻāĻāĻžāĻļā§° ā§°āĻ āĻā§°ā§ Tyndall effect āĻŦā§āĻāĻžāϝāĻŧāĨ¤)
Main Difference / āĻŽā§āĻā§āϝ āĻĒāĻžā§°ā§āĻĨāĻā§āϝ
i. Dispersion = Splitting of white light into colours (āĻŦāĻŋāĻā§āĻā§ā§°āĻŖ = āĻŦāĻāĻž āĻĒā§āĻšā§° āĻŦāĻŋāĻāĻŋāύā§āύ ā§°āĻāϤ āĻāĻžāĻ āĻšā§ā§ąāĻž)
ii. Scattering = Spreading of light in different directions (āĻŦāĻŋāĻāĻŋā§°āĻŖ = āĻĒā§āĻšā§° āĻŦāĻŋāĻāĻŋāύā§āύ āĻĻāĻŋāĻļāϤ āĻŦāĻŋāϝāĻŧāĻĒāĻŋ āϝā§ā§ąāĻž)
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MCQ on Dispersion vs Scattering of Light (āĻĒā§āĻšā§°ā§° āĻŦāĻŋāĻā§āĻā§ā§°āĻŖ āĻā§°ā§ āĻŦāĻŋāĻāĻŋā§°āĻŖā§° āĻāĻĒā§°āϤ MCQ)
1. What is dispersion of light ? (ā§§. āĻĒā§āĻšā§°ā§° āĻŦāĻŋāĻā§āĻā§ā§°āĻŖ āĻāĻŋ ?)
(a) Reflection of light (b) Splitting of white light into colours (c) Absorption of light (d) Blocking of light
Ans / āĻāϤā§āϤ⧰: (b) Splitting of white light into colours
Explanation / āĻŦā§āϝāĻžāĻā§āϝāĻž: Dispersion is the splitting of white light into its constituent colours. āĻŦāĻŋāĻā§āĻā§ā§°āĻŖāϤ āĻŦāĻāĻž āĻĒā§āĻšā§° āĻŦāĻŋāĻāĻŋāύā§āύ ā§°āĻāϤ āĻāĻžāĻ āĻšāϝāĻŧāĨ¤
2. Which device is commonly used to show dispersion of light ? ⧍. āĻĒā§āĻšā§°ā§° āĻŦāĻŋāĻā§āĻā§ā§°āĻŖ āĻĻā§āĻā§ā§ąāĻžāĻŦāϞ⧠āϏāĻžāϧāĻžā§°āĻŖāϤ⧠āĻā§āύāĻā§ āĻŦāϏā§āϤ⧠āĻŦā§āĻ¯ā§ąāĻšāĻžā§° āĻā§°āĻž āĻšāϝāĻŧ ?
(a) Mirror (b) Thermometer (c) Prism (d) Lens
Ans / āĻāϤā§āϤ⧰: (c) Prism
Explanation / āĻŦā§āϝāĻžāĻā§āϝāĻž: A prism splits white light into VIBGYOR colours. āĻĒā§ā§°āĻŋāĻāĻŽā§ āĻŦāĻāĻž āĻĒā§āĻšā§°āĻ VIBGYOR ā§°āĻāϤ āĻāĻžāĻ āĻā§°ā§āĨ¤
3. Scattering of light occurs due to: (ā§Š. āĻĒā§āĻšā§°ā§° āĻŦāĻŋāĻāĻŋā§°āĻŖ āĻāĻŋāĻšā§° āĻŦāĻžāĻŦā§ āĻāĻā§ ?)
(a) Large mirrors (b) Tiny particles or molecules (c) Magnets (d) Electric current
Ans / āĻāϤā§āϤ⧰: (b) Tiny particles or molecules
Explanation / āĻŦā§āϝāĻžāĻā§āϝāĻž: Scattering occurs when light interacts with tiny particles in a medium. āĻĒā§āĻšā§°ā§ āϏ⧰⧠āĻāĻŖāĻŋāĻāĻžā§° āϏā§āϤ⧠āĻā§ā§°āĻŋāϝāĻŧāĻž āĻā§°āĻŋāϞ⧠āĻŦāĻŋāĻāĻŋā§°āĻŖ āĻāĻā§āĨ¤
4. Which colour scatters the most in the atmosphere ? (ā§Ē. āĻŦāĻžāϝāĻŧā§āĻŽāĻŖā§āĻĄāϞāϤ āĻā§āύāĻā§ ā§°āĻ āĻāĻāĻžāĻāϤāĻā§ āĻŦā§āĻāĻŋ āĻŦāĻŋāĻāĻŋā§°āĻŋāϤ āĻšāϝāĻŧ ?)
(a) Red (b) Yellow (c) Blue (d) Orange
Ans / āĻāϤā§āϤ⧰: (c) Blue
Explanation / āĻŦā§āϝāĻžāĻā§āϝāĻž: Blue light has shorter wavelength, so it scatters more. (āύā§āϞāĻž āĻĒā§āĻšā§°ā§° āϤ⧰āĻāĻāĻĻā§ā§°ā§āĻā§āϝ āĻāĻŽ, āϏā§āϝāĻŧā§ āĻ āϧāĻŋāĻ āĻŦāĻŋāĻāĻŋā§°āĻŋāϤ āĻšāϝāĻŧāĨ¤)
5. Which phenomenon forms a rainbow ? (ā§Ģ. āĻā§āύāĻā§ āĻāĻāύāĻžā§° āĻĢāϞāϤ ā§°āĻžāĻŽāϧā§āύ⧠āϏā§āώā§āĻāĻŋ āĻšāϝāĻŧ ?)
(a) Reflection (b) Dispersion (c) Diffraction (d) Refraction only
Ans / āĻāϤā§āϤ⧰: (b) Dispersion
Explanation / āĻŦā§āϝāĻžāĻā§āϝāĻž: Rainbow is formed due to dispersion of sunlight by raindrops. āĻŦā§°āώā§āĻŖā§° āĻā§āĻĒāĻžāϞāϤ āϏā§ā§°ā§āϝ⧰ āĻĒā§āĻšā§°ā§° āĻŦāĻŋāĻā§āĻā§ā§°āĻŖā§° āĻĢāϞāϤ ā§°āĻžāĻŽāϧā§āύ⧠āĻāĻ āĻŋāϤ āĻšāϝāĻŧāĨ¤
6. The blue colour of the sky is due to: ā§Ŧ. āĻāĻāĻžāĻļ āύā§āϞāĻž āĻĻā§āĻāĻžā§° āĻāĻžā§°āĻŖ āĻāĻŋ ?
(a) Reflection (b) Dispersion (c) Scattering (d) Refraction
Ans / āĻāϤā§āϤ⧰: (c) Scattering
Explanation / āĻŦā§āϝāĻžāĻā§āϝāĻž: Blue light scatters more in the atmosphere, making the sky appear blue. āĻŦāĻžāϝāĻŧā§āĻŽāĻŖā§āĻĄāϞāϤ āύā§āϞāĻž āĻĒā§āĻšā§° āĻ āϧāĻŋāĻ āĻŦāĻŋāĻāĻŋā§°āĻŋāϤ āĻšāϝāĻŧ, āϏā§āϝāĻŧā§ āĻāĻāĻžāĻļ āύā§āϞāĻž āĻĻā§āĻāĻž āϝāĻžāϝāĻŧāĨ¤
7. Which of the following produces a spectrum ? ā§. āϤāϞ⧰ āĻā§āύāĻā§ā§ąā§ āĻŦā§°ā§āĻŖāĻžāϞ⧠āϏā§āώā§āĻāĻŋ āĻā§°ā§ ?
(a) Scattering (b) Dispersion (c) Reflection (d) Absorption
Ans / āĻāϤā§āϤ⧰: (b) Dispersion
Explanation / āĻŦā§āϝāĻžāĻā§āϝāĻž: Dispersion separates white light into VIBGYOR colours forming a spectrum. āĻŦāĻŋāĻā§āĻā§ā§°āĻŖā§ āĻŦāĻāĻž āĻĒā§āĻšā§°āĻ VIBGYOR ā§°āĻāϤ āĻāĻžāĻ āĻā§°āĻŋ āĻŦā§°ā§āĻŖāĻžāϞ⧠āϏā§āώā§āĻāĻŋ āĻā§°ā§āĨ¤
8. Red colour is seen during sunset because: (ā§Ž. āϏā§ā§°ā§āϝāĻžāϏā§āϤ⧰ āϏāĻŽāϝāĻŧāϤ ā§°āĻāĻž ā§°āĻ āĻĻā§āĻāĻž āϝāĻžāϝāĻŧ āĻāĻžā§°āĻŖ -)
(a) Red scatters more (b) Blue scatters away more strongly (c) Sun becomes red
(d) Air absorbs all colours
Ans / āĻāϤā§āϤ⧰: (b) Blue scatters away more strongly
Explanation / āĻŦā§āϝāĻžāĻā§āϝāĻž: Blue light scatters away, so red light reaches our eyes during sunset. āύā§āϞāĻž āĻĒā§āĻšā§° āĻ āϧāĻŋāĻ āĻŦāĻŋāĻāĻŋā§°āĻŋāϤ āĻšāϝāĻŧ, āϏā§āϝāĻŧā§ āϏā§ā§°ā§āϝāĻžāϏā§āϤāϤ ā§°āĻāĻž āĻĒā§āĻšā§° āĻāĻā§āϤ āĻāĻšā§āĨ¤
9. VIBGYOR is related to: ⧝. VIBGYOR āĻāĻŋāĻšā§° āϏā§āϤ⧠āĻāĻĄāĻŧāĻŋāϤ ?
(a) Reflection (b) Heat (c) Spectrum of colours (d) Sound waves
Ans / āĻāϤā§āϤ⧰: (c) Spectrum of colours
Explanation / āĻŦā§āϝāĻžāĻā§āϝāĻž: VIBGYOR represents the seven colours of white light spectrum. VIBGYOR āĻŦāĻāĻž āĻĒā§āĻšā§°ā§° āϏāĻžāϤāĻāĻž ā§°āĻ āĻŦā§āĻāĻžāϝāĻŧāĨ¤
10. Which effect is explained by scattering of light ? (ā§§ā§Ļ. āĻā§āύāĻā§ āĻĒā§ā§°āĻāĻžā§ą āĻĒā§āĻšā§°ā§° āĻŦāĻŋāĻāĻŋā§°āĻŖā§ āĻŦā§āĻāĻžāϝāĻŧ ?)
(a) Joule effect (b) Tyndall effect (c) Magnetic effect (d) Doppler effect
Ans / āĻāϤā§āϤ⧰: (b) Tyndall effect
Explanation / āĻŦā§āϝāĻžāĻā§āϝāĻž: The Tyndall effect occurs due to scattering of light by particles. (āĻāĻŖāĻŋāĻāĻžā§° āĻĻā§āĻŦāĻžā§°āĻž āĻĒā§āĻšā§°ā§° āĻŦāĻŋāĻāĻŋā§°āĻŖā§° āĻĢāϞāϤ Tyndall effect āĻĻā§āĻāĻž āϝāĻžāϝāĻŧāĨ¤)