Prism: meaning, definitions and examples

General term used to describe a transparent optical element with flat, polished surfaces that refract light.

• The teacher used a prism to demonstrate the dispersion of light
• A prism can break white light into its component colors

A broad term that includes any component used in optical systems, which can include lenses, mirrors, and prisms. Used in more technical or professional contexts.

• An optical element malfunction can severely affect a microscope's performance
• Engineers need to precisely align each optical element in the device

Specifically refers to a prism made of glass. Often used in educational or scientific settings to describe the material of the prism.

• A glass prism is essential for various optical experiments
• The sunlight passing through the glass prism created a beautiful spectrum on the wall

Specifically used to highlight the prism's function of refracting light. Common in scientific descriptions and discussions about light behavior.

• A refracting prism was used to demonstrate the principles of light bending
• The refracting prism split the incoming light into different wavelengths

Used in mathematical contexts to describe a solid with two identical faces (bases) and parallelogram faces connecting corresponding sides.

• A rectangular prism has six faces, all of which are rectangles.
• Light refracts differently when it passes through a glass prism.

Refers to any solid shape in geometry, and is typically used in academic or descriptive situations to refer to three-dimensional figures.

• A sphere, cube, and pyramid are all examples of geometric solids.
• In geometry, we study various geometric solids to understand their properties.

Commonly used in mathematical geometry to describe a solid shape with flat polygonal faces, straight edges, and sharp corners (vertices). It can be used in educational or scientific contexts.

• A cube is a type of polyhedron with six square faces.
• We built a model of a dodecahedron, a polyhedron with twelve pentagonal faces.

This term is used broadly in educational contexts to describe any shape that has depth, width, and height.

• A cylinder is a three-dimensional shape with two circular bases.
• Children learn the concept of three-dimensional shapes like cubes and spheres in early mathematics classes.

A prism is often used in scientific or educational contexts, especially in physics and optics, to describe a transparent optical element with flat, polished surfaces that refract light.

• The physics teacher used a prism to demonstrate how light splits into a spectrum of colors.
• In a laboratory, a prism can be used to study the properties of light.

This term is typically used in physics and optics to describe a material or surface that reflects wave energy, such as light or sound waves.

• The reflecting medium in the experiment was a polished metal sheet.
• A reflecting medium like a mirror can be used to redirect light beams.

A filter can refer to anything used to remove impurities or unwanted elements. It is commonly used in photography, light technology, and even metaphorically in everyday language.

• A UV filter was attached to the camera lens to protect it from harmful sunlight.
• She used a water filter to remove any impurities from the tap water.
• He mentally applied a filter to ignore the negative comments.

A separator is used in mechanical, industrial, or chemical contexts to describe a device or mechanism that divides substances into separate components.

• The milk separator divides cream from the milk.
• An industrial separator was used to sort waste materials.