Explain how the formation of rainbow occurs.?

Question

Answer

Formation of Rainbow :
(a) The beautiful phenomenon of the rainbow is a combination of three different phenomena - dispersion, refraction and reflection of light.
(b) The rainbow appears in the sky after a rain shower.
(c) When light rays from the sun enter the water droplets that act like small prisms, they refract and disperse the incident sunlight.
(d) This light is then reflected internally, inside the droplet and is finally refracted again.
(e) Due to the collective effect of all these phenomena, the seven coloured rainbow 'VIBGYOR' - violet, indigo, blue, green, yellow, orange, red can be seen.

Answer

A rainbow is caused by sunlight and atmospheric conditions. Light enters a water droplet, slowing down and bending as it goes from air to denser water. The light reflects off the inside of the droplet, separating into its component wavelengths--or colors. When light exits the droplet, it makes a rainbow.

Answer

The Formation of a Rainbow

Rainbows are one of nature's most beautiful and captivating phenomena. They occur when sunlight is refracted, or bent, and then reflected inside raindrops. This process leads to the dispersion of light, resulting in the formation of a colorful arc in the sky. Let's delve into the details of how rainbows are formed.

1. Sunlight enters raindrops
When sunlight passes through the atmosphere, it encounters raindrops suspended in the air. These raindrops act as tiny prisms that can refract and disperse light. The sunlight enters the raindrop and is initially refracted, or bent, as it moves from the air to the denser medium of water.

2. Primary refraction and dispersion
Upon entering the raindrop, the sunlight undergoes primary refraction. This causes the different colors of light to separate, or disperse, due to their varying wavelengths. The shorter wavelengths, such as violet and blue, bend more than the longer wavelengths, like red and orange.

3. Reflecting off the raindrop's surface
After dispersion, the separated colors of light bounce off the inside surface of the raindrop. Each color is reflected at a slightly different angle due to its specific wavelength.

4. Secondary refraction and dispersion
Once the light hits the inside surface of the raindrop, it is refracted again as it moves from the water back into the air. This secondary refraction causes the dispersed colors to further spread out and become more distinct.

5. Emerging from the raindrop
After the secondary refraction, the light exits the raindrop and continues to travel through the air. As it leaves the raindrop, it is refracted once again, but this time it is bent away from the normal, or perpendicular, to the raindrop's surface.

6. Rainbow formation
As the refracted light exits the raindrop at different angles, it creates a circular arc in the sky. This arc is known as a rainbow. The colors of the rainbow appear in the order of red, orange, yellow, green, blue, indigo, and violet (ROYGBIV). The inner part of the rainbow appears brighter, while the outer part is dimmer.

Conclusion
In summary, the formation of a rainbow occurs through the refraction, dispersion, and reflection of sunlight inside raindrops. This process causes the separation and spreading out of different colors of light, resulting in the mesmerizing arc of colors that we admire in the sky.

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