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When sunlight falls on the millions of water droplets in the air during rain or mist or near waterfalls, they undergo 'dispersion' which means scattering of light. Sunlight, 'white' light, is a combination of various colours from violet to red, colours found on a rainbow, and each colour corresponds to a specific 'wavelength' of light.
So, to put it in simple terms, sunlight is a package/bundle of various colours and when the sunlight enters a droplet, the 'bundle' is 'unwrapped' and when it leaves the water droplet on the other side, the constituents of the 'bundle' are scattered.
Think of separate colours of sunlight as different vehicles. Violet, which has the shortest wavelength of the visible spectrum of light can be compared to a cycle. Red, which has the longest wavelength of the visible spectrum can be compared to a trailer truck. Other colours in between range from motor-cycles to hatchbacks to limos to buses, from violet to red. Cycles can turn very fast whereas trailer trucks take a longer time to turn and likewise the other categories of vehicles. This can be generalised as longer vehicles take longer to turn.
This is what happens in the water droplet. Before entering the water droplet, all the vehicles (light colours) travel at the same speed. When they hit the water droplet, its like taking a turn. Cycles (violet) turns the farthest and trailer-truck (red) the least. Keep in mind that they are still travelling at the same speed. So when the light leave the droplet, violet and red and the colours in between are moving in separate directions and hence the rainbow. That is why you always see the rainbow on the other side of the sun.
You could create a rainbow yourself using a good light source and a prism, although it won't be bow-shaped.
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What do you see when sunlight is refracted through water droplets?
You see a rainbow. Sunlight is composed of different colors of light, each with a unique wavelength. When sunlight is refracted through water droplets in the air, the different colors of light separate and create a rainbow pattern, with red on the outer edge and violet on the inner edge.
What two things have to be present for a rainbow to form?
For a rainbow to form, two things have to be present: sunlight and water droplets in the air. The sunlight is refracted and reflected within the water droplets, causing the colors of the spectrum to be visible as a rainbow.
Why is it common to see rainbows near waterfalls even though it isn't raining?
Rainbows occur when sunlight is refracted and reflected by water droplets in the air. Waterfalls create mist and spray that can act as water droplets, providing the conditions necessary for a rainbow to form even when it's not raining. The sunlight interacts with the mist in the air to produce the colorful spectrum we see as a rainbow.
What type of energy is occurring with a rainbow?
A rainbow is formed due to the refraction, dispersion, and reflection of sunlight in water droplets in the atmosphere. The energy involved is primarily sunlight, which is being split into its different colors as it passes through the water droplets, creating the colorful arc of a rainbow.
Which process causes a rainbow?
A rainbow is caused by the reflection, refraction, and dispersion of sunlight within water droplets in the Earth's atmosphere. When sunlight enters a water droplet, it is refracted, reflected off the inner surface, and refracted again as it exits the droplet, creating the spectrum of light that forms a rainbow.
What two things are needed to make a rainbow?
A rainbow is formed when sunlight is refracted, or bent, by water droplets in the air, and then reflected inside the droplets before being refracted again as it exits. So, you need sunlight and water droplets in the air to create a rainbow.
When sunlight is dispersed and reflected by water droplets a what forms?
A rainbow forms when sunlight is dispersed and reflected by water droplets in the atmosphere.
Why cannot you see a rainbow at noon?
Rainbows usually form when sunlight is refracted and reflected off water droplets in the atmosphere, creating the spectrum of colors. At noon, the sun is directly overhead, so the angle at which sunlight hits the water droplets is not conducive for rainbow formation. The sunlight needs to hit the droplets at a specific angle to create a rainbow, which is why they are typically observed early in the morning or late in the afternoon.
What do you see when sunlight is refracted through water droplets?
You see a rainbow. Sunlight is composed of different colors of light, each with a unique wavelength. When sunlight is refracted through water droplets in the air, the different colors of light separate and create a rainbow pattern, with red on the outer edge and violet on the inner edge.
Can a rainbow form without the light of the sun?
No, rainbows are formed when sunlight is refracted, reflected, and dispersed in water droplets in the atmosphere. Without sunlight, there wouldn't be the necessary light and water droplets interaction to create a rainbow.
Who created the rainbow?
After a rain, rainbow is created when sunlight refracts millions of droplets of water. No one created the rainbow.
Does a rainbow beam?
No, a rainbow does not actually touch the ground or create a physical beam of light. It is simply the dispersion of sunlight through water droplets in the atmosphere, creating a colorful arc in the sky.
Do water have to be in the bottle to form a rainbow?
No, water droplets in the air can also create a rainbow when they refract and reflect sunlight. A rainbow is formed by the refraction, dispersion, and reflection of light within water droplets in the atmosphere, not necessarily in a bottle.
What two things have to be present for a rainbow to form?
For a rainbow to form, two things have to be present: sunlight and water droplets in the air. The sunlight is refracted and reflected within the water droplets, causing the colors of the spectrum to be visible as a rainbow.
What are 2 things that are needed to make a rainbow?
Two things needed to make a rainbow are sunlight and water droplets in the air. As sunlight passes through the water droplets, it is refracted and dispersed into its different colors, creating the visible spectrum of a rainbow.
Can you land on a rainbow?
Uummm, no. A rainbow is only a refraction of sunlight through micro droplets of water in the atmosphere.
How do water droplets andsunlight create a rainbow?
Yes.
