What device separates white light into the colors of the spectrum?

A prism is a transparent optical element that refracts light, bending it as it passes through. When white light enters a prism, the different wavelengths (or colors) of light are refracted by different amounts due to their varying speeds in the glass. This separation of light into its component colors results in a spectrum, which typically shows red, orange, yellow, green, blue, indigo, and violet.

In contrast, a lens focuses or disperses light but does not necessarily separate the colors of the spectrum in the same way a prism does. A mirror reflects light without changing its composition and does not separate colors. A filter selectively transmits certain wavelengths while blocking others, but it does not facilitate the natural dispersion of white light into a spectrum. Therefore, the correct answer, which identifies the device specifically designed to separate colors of light, is the prism.