What optical component splits white light into red, green, and blue components in a camera?

The optical component that effectively splits white light into its red, green, and blue components within a camera is a prism block. This component utilizes the principle of refraction, where light of different wavelengths bends at different angles when passing through the prism. As a result, white light, which contains all visible colors, is dispersed into its constituent colors—red, green, and blue.

In a camera, this splitting is crucial for color reproduction. Each of these color components can then be captured separately by individual sensors or layers that are designed to respond to those specific wavelengths. The combination of these colors is essential for creating a full range of colors in the final image.

Other components mentioned, such as a lens cap, light filter, and optical sensor, have different functions and do not perform the task of separating white light into its RGB components. The lens cap protects the lens from damage and dust when not in use, while a light filter can modify the spectrum of light entering the camera but does not separate colors. An optical sensor captures light and converts it into an electrical signal, but it relies on the light already being split into different color components for accurate color recording.