🌈 How Do Rainbows Work?
Rainbows form when sunlight interacts with tiny water droplets in the air. When sunlight enters a droplet, it bends (this is called refraction), reflects off the back of the droplet, and then bends again as it exits. This process, called dispersion, splits white sunlight into its different colors: red, orange, yellow, green, blue, indigo, and violet or ROY G. BIV for short.
Each color bends at a slightly different angle, which is why we see a beautiful curved arc. It’s amazing how red appears on the outside of the arc, while violet is on the inside.
Did you know that rainbows are actually full circles? This might surprise you! From the ground, we only see an arc because the Earth blocks the bottom half. But if you’re in a plane or helicopter, you might see a complete circular rainbow. How cool is that?
Rainbows form through the scattering, reflection, and refraction of sunlight through water droplets (or sometimes ice crystals). These droplets are usually shaped like teardrops, which helps create the effect.
Rainbows don’t just look incredible. They also help us understand how light and water interact in our atmosphere.