What is the primary reason that different colors of light can be seen when light passes through a prism?

The primary reason that different colors of light can be seen when light passes through a prism is refraction. When light enters a prism, its speed changes due to the difference in density between air and the material of the prism. This change in speed causes the light to bend, or refract. Each color in the visible spectrum has a different wavelength and, consequently, a different degree of bending.

For example, red light, which has a longer wavelength, bends less than blue light, which has a shorter wavelength. As a result, when white light passes through a prism, it separates into its constituent colors, creating a spectrum. This phenomenon is fundamental in optics and helps explain various visual effects, such as rainbows, which are formed when sunlight refracts through raindrops in the atmosphere.

Other options like reflection, diffraction, and scattering do not primarily account for the separation of colors in this context. Reflection involves light bouncing off surfaces, diffraction deals with the bending of light waves around obstacles, and scattering refers to the redirection of light due to interaction with particles. However, none of these processes cause the spectral separation of colors as effectively as refraction does when light travels through a prism.