Prismás

Prismás is a term that can refer to several concepts, primarily related to optics and geometry. In its most common usage, it refers to a prism, a transparent optical element with flat, polished surfaces that refract light. Prisms are typically triangular in cross-section. When light enters a prism, it undergoes refraction, bending at the interface between the two optical media. If the prism is made of glass and surrounded by air, light will bend towards the normal upon entering and away from the normal upon exiting. This bending of light causes a deviation in the path of the light ray.

The dispersion of light is a key phenomenon associated with prisms. Because the refractive index of the prism material varies slightly with the wavelength of light, different colors (wavelengths) of light are refracted at slightly different angles. This causes white light to separate into its constituent spectral colors, a process known as dispersion. This effect is famously demonstrated by a triangular prism splitting sunlight into a rainbow.

In geometry, a prism is a polyhedron comprising an n-sided polygonal base, a second base which is a translated copy of the first, and n other faces (necessarily all parallelograms) joining corresponding sides of the two bases. If the joining faces are rectangles, it is a right prism. If the bases are regular polygons and the joining faces are squares, it is a uniform prism. The term "prismático" in Spanish and Portuguese also relates to prisms or prismatic shapes.