why is the sky blue?

Question

Ive always wondered why the sky is blue. and not pink, or green, or yellow. does anyone have an answer?

Answer 1

Einstein answered this question. It has to do with the way sunlight is scattered by the molecules in the atmosphere. Blue light scatters more than red (Tyndall effect also known as Rayleigh scattering), so more blue light reaches our eye.

There is an excellent description at the website listed below (look at the cartoon and it will be pretty clear).

It is not a reflection from the ocean. And it isn't just water molecules that cause the effect.

Aloha

Answer 2

It has to do with scattering. This can be quite difficult to explain in a paragraph, but note that scattering occurs as a function of wavelength (proportional to 1/wavelength^4) so the shorter the wavelength the more scattering occurs. This means that the shortest wavelengths violet-blue are scattered and this is why the sky appears blue when the sun is overhead. However, as the sun sets the sun's rays must pass through more of the atmosphere and the rays are reflected by clouds or dust particles so the shortest wavelengths are scattered and not seen leaving the longer wavelengths remaining which reach our eyes (ie red-orange).

Answer 3

The atmosphere is the mixture of gas molecules and other materials surrounding the earth. It is made mostly of the gases nitrogen (78%), and oxygen (21%). Argon gas and water (in the form of vapor, droplets and ice crystals) are the next most common things. There are also small amounts of other gases, plus many small solid particles, like dust, soot and ashes, pollen, and salt from the oceans.

The composition of the atmosphere varies, depending on your location, the weather, and many other things. There may be more water in the air after a rainstorm, or near the ocean. Volcanoes can put large amounts of dust particles high into the atmosphere. Pollution can add different gases or dust and soot.

The atmosphere is densest (thickest) at the bottom, near the Earth. It gradually thins out as you go higher and higher up. There is no sharp break between the atmosphere and space.

Answer 4

I agree with Jeff The Drunk however i would like to add that if you had enough Green or Pink color particles the sky would appear Green or Pink.

Answer 5

the sky is blue because it is the reflection of the oceans (blue) on the stratosphere jeffthedrunk knows what is in the atmosphere but if he stayed sober long enough he would know thats not what makes the sky blue. it's a simple reflection nothing more

Answer 6

http://www.answers.com/RAYLEIGH%20SCATTERING


Rayleigh scattering (named after Lord Rayleigh) is the scattering of light, or other electromagnetic radiation, by particles much smaller than the wavelength of the light. It occurs when light travels in transparent solids and liquids, but is most prominently seen in gases. Rayleigh scattering of sunlight by the atmosphere is the main reason light from the sky is blue.

Answer 7

it look like blue but it is not
refraction of red is least and blue light refraction is greatest in spectrum
There are dust particles in air which refract the light but blue refractions is most and it spreads all around and whole sky look like blue
If u go in space sky will look like black (no color)

Answer 8

Because it ALWAYS as a bad day.

Actually light is refracted to the end of the spectrum in the sky.

TFTP

Answer 9

depressed about the Pluto thing

Answer 10

http://answers.yahoo.com/search/search_result;_ylt=AknuNUHaPr3rUu9WCQWtvC4ezKIX?p=why+is+the+sky+blue