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Rainbow is produced when sunlight falls on drops of rain. Which of the following physical phenomena are responsible for this ?
1. Dispersion
2. Refraction
3. Internal reflection
Select the correct answer using the codes given below ?
  • a)
    1 and 2 only
  • b)
    2 and 3 only
  • c)
    1 and 3 only
  • d)
    1, 2 and 3
Correct answer is option 'D'. Can you explain this answer?
Verified Answer
Rainbow is produced when sunlight falls on drops of rain. Which of the...
Option:-1 Each individual droplet of water acts as a tiny prism that both disperses the light and reflects it back to our eye.
Option:-2 Since water is more dense than air, light is refracted as it enters the drop.
Option:-3 Some of the light will reflect off the back of the drop if the angle is larger than the critical angle (48° for water).
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Most Upvoted Answer
Rainbow is produced when sunlight falls on drops of rain. Which of the...
Explanation:

Rainbow is produced due to the phenomenon of dispersion, refraction, and internal reflection of sunlight.

Dispersion:
- Dispersion is the phenomenon of splitting of white light into its constituent colors due to the variation of refractive index with wavelength.
- When the sunlight falls on a raindrop, it gets refracted and dispersed into its constituent colors.
- The different colors of light have different wavelengths, so they bend at different angles and hence get separated.

Refraction:
- Refraction is the bending of light when it passes from one medium to another of different refractive indices.
- When the sunlight enters a raindrop, it gets refracted at the point where the air and water meet.
- The amount of bending of light depends on the angle of incidence and the refractive indices of the two media.

Internal Reflection:
- Internal reflection is the reflection of light within a medium when it strikes the boundary of another medium at an angle greater than the critical angle.
- When the refracted light inside the raindrop hits the inner surface of the drop, it undergoes internal reflection.
- The angle of incidence at which the internal reflection occurs is different for different colors of light.

Combination of Phenomena:
- The combination of these three phenomena results in the formation of a rainbow.
- When the dispersed light undergoes internal reflection inside the raindrop, it forms a cone-shaped region of colors.
- These colors emerge from the raindrop and form a circular arc in the sky with red color on the outer side and violet on the inner side.
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Rainbow is produced when sunlight falls on drops of rain. Which of the following physical phenomena are responsible for this ?1. Dispersion2. Refraction3. Internal reflectionSelect the correct answer using the codes given below ?a)1 and 2 onlyb)2 and 3 onlyc)1 and 3 onlyd)1, 2 and 3Correct answer is option 'D'. Can you explain this answer?
Question Description
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