dispersive power

American  

noun

Optics.

1. a measure of the ability of a substance to disperse light, equal to the quotient of the difference in refractive indices of the substance for two representative wavelengths divided by the difference of the refractive index for an intermediate wavelength and 1.

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Example Sentences

It is used for tableware, and for optical instruments, as prisms, its density giving a high degree of dispersive power; — so called, because formerly the silica was obtained from pulverized flints.

From The Gutenberg Webster's Unabridged Dictionary Section F, G and H by Project Gutenberg

Other materials than diamond behave similarly, but usually to a much smaller extent, for few gem materials have so high a refractive power or so great a dispersive power as diamond.

From A Text-Book of Precious Stones for Jewelers and the Gem-Loving Public by Wade, Frank Bertram

This decomposition depends on the dispersive power of the substance.

From Encyclopaedia Britannica, 11th Edition, Volume 11, Slice 5 "Gassendi, Pierre" to "Geocentric" by Various

In consequence of its low refractive and dispersive power, colourless pellucid fluor-spar is valuable in the construction of apochromatic lenses, but this variety is rare.

From Encyclopaedia Britannica, 11th Edition, Volume 10, Slice 5 "Fleury, Claude" to "Foraker" by Various

The dispersive power is not the same for all parts of a refraction spectrum; besides, the same colours do not occupy the same positions in spectra formed by prisms of different material.

From The New Gresham Encyclopedia Volume 4, Part 1: Deposition to Eberswalde by Various