Light is a visual marvel of electromagnetic radiation that has been harnessed to stave off fear and evil since the dawn of humanity. People manufacture tools to emit a kind of synthetic luminescence and strive to capture a rainbow – the ultimate beauty. Composed of varying wavelengths and frequencies in a spectrum, the rainbow disperses white light into six colours.

The photograph shows the refraction of a single beam through a multi-faceted prism, and incident rays are distorted by the change in medium. Since the indexes of refraction differ, the beam slows down when passing through a boundary and returns to an initial velocity when emerging through cuts that were predetermined to yield a critical angle. The critical angle forces total internal reflection and produces a commercial diamond sparkle. Resulting rays parallel the incident, and their images flame against the black backdrop, dispersing from every facet.

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Elizabeth Hua
Rosemere High School, Rosemere, QC
Second Prize ( 2017 High School Class Category )

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