What is the power of a prism that can deviate a ray of light by 4cm at a distance of 1M?

To determine the power of a prism based on the deviation it causes, we can apply the formula for the angle of deviation in relation to the height of deviation and the distance from the prism. The formula for calculating the power (P) of the prism in terms of deviation is:

P = Deviation / Distance (in meters)

In this scenario, the deviation is given as 4 cm, which can be converted to meters for consistency in units (4 cm = 0.04 m). The distance from the prism, at which this deviation is measured, is 1 m.

Substituting these values into the formula gives us:

P = 0.04 m / 1 m = 0.04

In the context of prism power, this power can be expressed in terms of diopters (△), where 1 diopter equals a power that causes a deviation of 1 meter for a light ray deviated by 1 meter. Since the power is calculated directly as the deviation over the distance, the resultant value of 0.04 indicates a power of 4 diopters, thus correlating with the 4△ notation.

This method reveals that for a prism to cause a deviation of 4 cm at a