The Physics of Rainbows
The Physics of Rainbows
As we are coming down to the final weeks of winter, the days are getting longer, and it is slowing starting to warm up. We are all looking forward to springtime, with its promises of flowers and rain. Along with this rain brings reminders of rainbows. As Donald Ahrens says in the Meteorology Today magazine, “rainbows are one of the most spectacular light shows observed on earth (About).” In fact, one of the best ways to view a rainbow at it’s utmost beauty is when half of the sky is still dark with clouds, and the observer is standing at a spot where the sky is clear (Rainbow). All of the different colors of the rainbow are very recognizable and memorable to all who observe them. Many children are taught the “Roy G. Biv” mnemonic as young children, learning the basic knowledge about rainbows. Whenever I see one, I am reminded of the beauty of the earth and how amazing creation is, with its power to boost our spirits and remind us of God’s promise. A rainbow is defined as an optical and meteorological phenomenon that causes a nearly continuous spectrum of light to appear in the sky when the sun shines onto droplets of moisture in the Earth’s atmosphere (Rainbow). A rainbow takes the shape of an arc with its various colors of red, orange, yellow, green, blue, indigo, and violet. Getting more acquainted with rainbows and how they are formed, however, can help to understand and appreciate the full effects of such an amazing feature of the Earth. There are two main aspects that influence a rainbow, and these include the altitude of the sun and the size of the raindrops (The Rainbow). The sunlight is refracted, which means the bending of light as it passes from one medium to another. This refraction makes different wavelengths, or colors, of the white light from the sun to separate. Determining whether or not the wavelengths will go through the raindrops or reflect always depends on the angle that
As we are coming down to the final weeks of winter, the days are getting longer, and it is slowing starting to warm up. We are all looking forward to springtime, with its promises of flowers and rain. Along with this rain brings reminders of rainbows. As Donald Ahrens says in the Meteorology Today magazine, “rainbows are one of the most spectacular light shows observed on earth (About).” In fact, one of the best ways to view a rainbow at it’s utmost beauty is when half of the sky is still dark with clouds, and the observer is standing at a spot where the sky is clear (Rainbow). All of the different colors of the rainbow are very recognizable and memorable to all who observe them. Many children are taught the “Roy G. Biv” mnemonic as young children, learning the basic knowledge about rainbows. Whenever I see one, I am reminded of the beauty of the earth and how amazing creation is, with its power to boost our spirits and remind us of God’s promise. A rainbow is defined as an optical and meteorological phenomenon that causes a nearly continuous spectrum of light to appear in the sky when the sun shines onto droplets of moisture in the Earth’s atmosphere (Rainbow). A rainbow takes the shape of an arc with its various colors of red, orange, yellow, green, blue, indigo, and violet. Getting more acquainted with rainbows and how they are formed, however, can help to understand and appreciate the full effects of such an amazing feature of the Earth. There are two main aspects that influence a rainbow, and these include the altitude of the sun and the size of the raindrops (The Rainbow). The sunlight is refracted, which means the bending of light as it passes from one medium to another. This refraction makes different wavelengths, or colors, of the white light from the sun to separate. Determining whether or not the wavelengths will go through the raindrops or reflect always depends on the angle that
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