When white light passes through a glass prism, what is formed?

When white light passes through a glass prism, it is refracted, or bent, at different angles depending on the wavelength of each component color within the light. This separation occurs because each color of light travels at a different speed in the glass, leading to varying degrees of bending for different wavelengths. As a result, the light is dispersed into a range of colors, commonly referred to as a spectrum. This spectrum typically includes the visible colors: red, orange, yellow, green, blue, indigo, and violet, often remembered by the acronym ROYGBIV. The formation of a spectrum is a fundamental demonstration of the wave nature of light and illustrates how white light is composed of multiple colors rather than being a single color itself.