Dispersive Power
A dimensionless material property measuring a prism or lens material's ability to separate different spectral wavelengths.
Governing formula
ω = (n_v - n_r) / (n_y - 1)
SI unit
Dimensionless
In depth
Ratio of angular dispersion between violet and red light to mean deviation of yellow light. High dispersive power glass produces wider spectrums.
Examples in the real world
Flint glass having higher dispersive power ($Ω ≈ 0.036$) than crown glass ($Ω ≈ 0.017$).