• Topic

• Prism dioptre
• Optics of prisms

• Subject:
Geometrical & physical optics

• Submitted by:
Shumaila Azam
70098213
Section: A
Class :Third Semester
• Submitted to:
Ma’am Hina Manzoor
Prism dioptre
1:
• A unit specifying the amount of light deviation by an ophthalmic prism.
• One prism dioptre (written 1 Χ) represents a deviation of 1 cm on a flat surface 1 m away
from the prism. The surface is perpendicular to the direction of the original light ray (Fig.
D3). Similarly, a 2 Χ prism deviates light 2 cm at a distance of 1 m, and so on.
• For small angles, conversion between prism diopter’s and degrees is given by the
approximate formula
7 Χ = 4º or 1 Χ = 0.57º or 1º = 1.75 Χ
The exact formula for any angle α less than 90º is
α in Χ = 100 tan α
Note: the current British Standard regarding ophthalmic lenses specifies a deviation (in Χ) of a
ray of light of wavelength 587.6 nm incident normally at one surface
2:

unit of convergence of the eyes. See Prentice's law; prism power.

Optics of prisms
Prisms
➢ It may be helpful to remind you what a prism really is: a geometric figure bounded by planes,
whose bases are equal polygons, similarly oriented in parallel planes.
The planes defined by corresponding (and hence parallel) sides of these polygons intersect in lines that
are all parallel, so that the side faces of the prism are all parallelograms.
Classification
Prisms are usually classified by the shapes of the bases;
➢ triangular,
➢ rectangular,
➢ hexagonal and other types of prism.

➢ The kind Newton experimented with were triangular; usually these are made with rather short
side faces.
In optics, prisms made for the purpose of dispersing light are usually made with bases that are
equilateral triangles, so that the angles between adjacent sides of the prism are 60°. However,
prisms are also often used to re-direct light by using internal reflection; these often have bases
that are isosceles right triangles, with angles of 45°-90°-45°.
➢ As optical technology developed, opticians found uses for more complicated pieces of
glass with plane entrance, exit, and reflecting or refracting faces; but these are often not
“prisms” in the geometric sense, but more complicated polyhedra, or even more complex
shapes, with unused corners cut or rounded off to reduce weight.
However, for our present purpose, the interesting prisms are those that deviate light by
refraction, not reflection, and these are triangular. The ones used for dispersing light sometimes
have only two adjacent faces polished; the third side and the bases are often left in a rough-
ground state, and may be painted black to absorb unwanted reflections. The angle between the
two polished faces is called the refracting angle.
If the prism is to be used for its dispersion, the refracting angle is usually about 60°.
On the other hand, refracting prisms are sometimes used to produce a very small angular
deviation. These have a small refracting angle, and are often called wedges (although they do not
have a sharp edge, which would be fragile and easily broken). If we are to compare the effects
of atmospheric refraction — which typically produces an angular deviation (even at the horizon)
of only half a degree, and never more than a few degrees — with a glass prism, one of these
wedges would be the appropriate form. Sometimes a very thick wedge is used (e.g., the “Dove
prism” used as an image rotator) to produce a small angular deviation by refraction, and the
dispersion is merely a nuisance. For small angles, the deviation of a glass prism is about 1/3 of
the prism angle, so a wedge angle of only a degree and a half would suffice to mimic the
horizontal refraction of the standard atmosphere.
Example
Here's a beam of white light, coming vertically upward through a prism (shown in gray here)
with a refracting angle of 38°. The bases of the prism are parallel to your screen. One side of the
prism is horizontal, so the beam is not deviated when it enters the prism (at the bottom of the
picture). When the light leaves the glass at the inclined face and enters the air, it is refracted, and
the beam is deflected to the right; the deflection is larger at shorter (bluer) wavelengths.
Reference’s:
https://medical-dictionary.thefreedictionary.com/prism+dioptre

https://aty.sdsu.edu/explain/optics/prisms.html
https://www.aao.org/focalpointssnippetdetail.aspx?id=fdef8f3b-2062-42a3-a014-
9f3b794920bf