We all learned at school that to all intents and purposes, considering the vast distance they travel, the sun's rays are parallel. But look at any cloud hiding the sun and the rays spread out in all directions. I gues it must be in relation to the distance we are from the cloud but a more reasoned explanation would answer something which has puzzled me for years!
2006-09-19 22:40:52 · 13 answers · asked by trevor l 4 in Science & Mathematics ➔ Weather
Refraction off water droplets
2006-09-19 22:44:03 · answer #1 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 1⤋
Imagine looking down a dead-straight road, which is infinitely long. There are parallel pavements (sidewalks) on each side. What you will see is the two pavements apparently becoming closer until in the far distance they will meet. This is of course called perspective; the meeting point being known as the disappearing point.
If you think of the pavements being the rays that you speak about, you can imagine that they are parallel, which in fact they are.
Now think instead that the same road (and pavements) are comming towards you
The effect is that we see apparently diverging light fanning out towards us from around the cloud. You can indeed find (by *dead-reckoning*) the exact position of the obscured sun behind the said cloud.
The reason that the rays going away from earth are not visible as converging light is they originate at the sun (93,000,000 miles distant) and the cloud we are talking about would have to be larger than this to exhibit this part of perspective.
One thought though, If you are on the equator at mid-day and this cloud formation is prevalent a few miles away, you might expect to observe the rays being parallel from the cloud to the ground
Hope this makes sense…. Best I could do
Foot Note. From your Q you obviously know some of the stuff already. be aware though that a lot of your answers are total garbage. Hope these people will learn a few basic scientific theories from your Q and subsequent reasoned-out answers.
2006-09-21 15:32:16 · answer #2 · answered by ? 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Christ! What a lot of bull...
The sunlight is radiated from the sun in ALL directions, uniformly.
The light travels in STRAIGHT lines, so the rays are NOT parallel.
For our little purposes on Earth, although the rays are not parallel, the angle between them is so small that it can barely be measured, so we consider them as parallel.
The rays of the sun behind a cloud are just an effect of the perspective we have: you are not looking at the rays that go towards you, but the rays that are going to your left and right...
2006-09-20 07:06:44 · answer #3 · answered by just "JR" 7 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Firstly, the basic assumption that the rays travel in parallel is incorrect.
Secondly, when the rays of light hit the atmosphere the would be refracted. Also, some are reflected to due the angle of incidence.
In summary by the time the human eye can see the light doming through the clouds it's line of travel would certainly not be parallel.
2006-09-20 06:07:10 · answer #4 · answered by advent m 3 · 1⤊ 0⤋
it doesn't spread from the clouds
its just that the suns rays just spread in all directions ,
it does not bend at the edge of the cloud
its still parallel
2006-09-20 06:02:53 · answer #5 · answered by vivekj k 1 · 0⤊ 0⤋
The sun rays are deflected by the cloud molecules - therefore the effect behind the clouds
2006-09-20 06:05:12 · answer #6 · answered by Basil P 4 · 0⤊ 1⤋
I believe we are taught rather that light travels in straight lines, not parallel lines. That is why shadows appear bigger the further away the surface which is projected upon is from the blocking object (like a body or hand).
2006-09-20 06:04:05 · answer #7 · answered by giraffethepellyandme 2 · 1⤊ 1⤋
The light is refracted by the water droplets in the clouds.
2006-09-20 05:49:16 · answer #8 · answered by Maxblax 2 · 0⤊ 1⤋
The light is refracted, which means light exiting something transparent, for example a glass block or water exits at a different angle to which it entered.
2006-09-20 05:52:43 · answer #9 · answered by Mariam 2 · 0⤊ 1⤋
Could it be the rays are reflected by the moisture in the clouds.
2006-09-20 05:43:53 · answer #10 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 1⤋