Which of the following statements regarding prisms is true?

The statement that a lens is a series of prisms is accurate because it emphasizes the way that lenses, particularly in optics, can be understood in terms of their refractive properties. When light passes through a lens, the curvature of the lens surface causes the light rays to bend or refract. This bending can be modeled as the effect of multiple prisms arranged in a series, with each small segment of the lens acting like a tiny prism.

In essence, this perspective helps to visualize how lenses function in altering light pathways and focusing images. In the case of convex and concave lenses, the way they combine the effects of refracting surfaces makes them similar to a collection of prisms working together to modify light direction and focus. This concept is crucial in understanding optical devices and their applications, such as glasses, cameras, and telescopes.

Other options suggest configurations or characteristics that do not accurately represent how lenses interact with light in the same way prisms do.