Explain the phenomenon of dispersion of light using a prism. Describe the process in which white light is split into its constituent colors and list the order of colors observed in the spectrum. 

Dispersion of light is the process by which white light is separated into its constituent colors when it passes through a prism. This phenomenon occurs due to the varying degrees of bending (refraction) that different colors of light experience when they pass through the prism.

The colors appear in a specific order: red, orange, yellow, green, blue, indigo, and violet. So, when you look at the light after it has passed through the prism, you will see a rainbow of colors arranged from red to violet.

Dispersion occurs because light waves of different wavelengths refract by different amounts. The refractive index of a material, which determines how much light bends, varies with wavelength. Shorter wavelengths (blue and violet) are refracted more strongly than longer wavelengths (red and orange), leading to the separation of white light into its component colors.