2006-08-21 07:30:37 · 13 answers · asked by scottyirish 2 in Science & Mathematics ➔ Earth Sciences & Geology
It is not the reflection of the ocean nor is it complicated.
The sun radiates white light. White light contains light from the entire visible spectrum -- reds,yellows, and blues. The colors are differentiated by their wavelengths. Reds are long and on the other end of the visible spectrum blues are short (violet is the shortest).
As light moves through the atmosphere, most of the longer wavelengths (red and yellow) pass straight through. However, much of the shorter wavelength light (blue and violet) is absorbed by the gas molecules. The absorbed blue light is then radiated in different directions. It gets scattered all around the sky. Whichever direction you look, some of this scattered blue light reaches you. Since you see the blue light from everywhere overhead, the sky looks blue. Looking directly at the sun, the blue light has been dispersed so the reds and yellows remain visible.
As well, on a cloudy day the sky looks white because the clouds diffuse even the longer wavelengths which means the entire spectrum of visible white light is being diffused.
2006-08-21 09:16:07 · answer #1 · answered by tke999 3 · 1⤊ 0⤋
It all has to do with the refraction of the light. When you refract light, it give off different colors such as a rainbow after it rains. That is light refracted. The reason the sky is blue is because the color blue is the longest wave length from refracted light.
Umm...I hope that is understandable. It really does have to do with light refraction. I'd probably explain it better if my mind is more refreshed about it, but this is the best I could come up with. It's basically because the color blue is the one that stands out more with the wave lengths. Hope this helped.
2006-08-21 14:46:42 · answer #2 · answered by Theresa T 2 · 1⤊ 0⤋
It is NOT because it reflects the ocean... the ocean reflects the sky...
The two above are right. It's due to refraction and absorbtion of light by the atmosphere.
2006-08-21 14:49:41 · answer #3 · answered by AresIV 4 · 0⤊ 0⤋
The atmosphere acts sort of like a prism, but it only seperates the blue wave lengths of light, so that's what you see. At sunrise and sunset, the light hits the atmosphere at a more horizontal angle, seperating the orange, pink, red, and purple wave lengths.
2006-08-21 14:41:44 · answer #4 · answered by Sean 2 · 1⤊ 0⤋
It is because blue light from the sun strikes the air molecules and scatters and our eyes perceive it as blue.
2006-08-21 14:37:45 · answer #5 · answered by BookLovr5 5 · 1⤊ 0⤋
It's a reflection of the sea -- most of Earth is water.
2006-08-21 14:37:22 · answer #6 · answered by thatgirl 6 · 0⤊ 1⤋
Because of the oceans, seas..There's a reflection..
2006-08-21 14:38:58 · answer #7 · answered by Irmak 7 · 0⤊ 1⤋
reflection of the oceans against the black space
and stick this finger in......
2006-08-21 15:08:03 · answer #8 · answered by zilber 4 · 0⤊ 0⤋
look it up it gets asked a dozen time a week!
2006-08-21 14:38:08 · answer #9 · answered by True Blue 4 · 0⤊ 1⤋
gawd..i rather not waste my time telling you something thatll take me 3000 pages..look it up yourself.
and the person aboove me is right...it is too complicated.
2006-08-21 14:37:32 · answer #10 · answered by ♥MoMo♥ 4 · 1⤊ 2⤋