Which one of the following figures correctly shows the path of a ray of light through a glass prism ?

When a ray of light enters a triangular glass prism from air (a rarer medium) to glass (a denser medium), it undergoes refraction and bends towards the normal at the first surface [2][3]. Inside the prism, the light travels and reaches the second surface, where it moves from glass back into air. At this glass-air boundary, the ray bends away from the normal [2]. Due to the non-parallel nature of the prism's refracting surfaces, the peculiar shape causes the emergent ray to deviate significantly from the original path of the incident ray [1][2]. Specifically, the light ray always deviates towards the base of the prism [1][3]. Figure 1 correctly illustrates this path, showing the initial bending towards the normal upon entry and the subsequent bending away from the normal upon exit, resulting in a net deviation towards the base.

Sources

1. [2] Science , class X (NCERT 2025 ed.) > Chapter 10: The Human Eye and the Colourful World > Activity 10.1 > p. 166
2. [3] https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK594230/
3. [1] Science , class X (NCERT 2025 ed.) > Chapter 10: The Human Eye and the Colourful World > 10.3 REFRACTION OF LIGHT THROUGH A PRISM > p. 165