A prism and white light vs prism and white noise

First of all I want you to understand I know litlle or nothing about physics, so excuse me if I am asking a completely stupid question.

The other day I saw a picture of a prism dividing white light into visible colors of the spectrum. Next I thought was, what a prism would do with white noise. They both are waves....aren't they?

Is possible to divide white noise into diverent 'colors' with a prism? Or is it the prism that would make such an event impossible? What if the properties of the prism would be usable for such an experiment? What can we expect to happen? would there be any applications for it?

Thx...

I don't think so. A prism will split white light into its constituent wave lengths which all fall towards the center of the EM scale.

However unlike white light white noise when viewed as a sound wave couldn't be broken into any constituent frequencies that would be visible.

White noise in forms like radio static and television static are a part of the EM scale. They however fall outside the bandwidth which a prism can bend with any noticable effect. Frequencies above and below that of visible light are refreacted in the same way as visible light is when passing through a surface, however the effect a surface has on frequencies higher and lower than that of visible light is negligable.



[edit on 1-5-2010 by constantwonder]

reply to post by constantwonder



I understand the part that the broken sound waves will not be visible.

Is what I am asking not something similar like tuning into a radio station but with the help of a prism? Using somekind of 'prism' so I can single-out the one (radiostation)wave out of the white noise.

But a (light)prism is singling out and organising many wavelenghts, each wave leave the prism neatly arranged to its value. It looks like a one-task computer.


" however the effect a surface has on frequencies higher and lower than that of visible light is negligable. ."

Does it not matter of what kind of glas this prism is made of? Is it too much asked if somebody explain what the mechanics are, how a prism works and why there is no surface material for breaking radiowaves?