Dispersion in optics refers to the phenomenon in which the phase velocity of a wave depends on its frequency. This effect is most commonly observed when white light passes through a prism or other transparent medium, resulting in the separation of light into its constituent colors, typically represented as a spectrum ranging from red to violet. The underlying reason for dispersion is that different wavelengths of light travel at different speeds in a medium.
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Optical dispersion is the dependence of refractive index or phase velocity on frequency. It gives an optical prism wavelength-dependent deviation and causes chromatic aberration.