why is the sky blue?

Answer 1

The color of the sky is blue because the atmosphere scatters shorter wavelenght light (blue and violet) more than longer wavelength light (red), and thus we see more of the scattered blue light.

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

The blue color of the sky is due to Rayleigh scattering. As light moves through the atmosphere, most of the longer wavelengths pass straight through. Little of the red, orange and yellow light is affected by the air.

However, much of the shorter wavelength light 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.

As you look closer to the horizon, the sky appears much paler in color. To reach you, the scattered blue light must pass through more air. Some of it gets scattered away again in other directions. Less blue light reaches your eyes. The color of the sky near the horizon appears paler or white.♥

Answer 2

It has to do with wavelengths and colors. Not the color of the ocean reflecting into the atmosphere. It's like that one girl said, the sky is every color. It's like a green leaf. Chlorophyll doesn't absorb green light. It reflects it. That's the same with the sky. It reflects blue.

Answer 3

"White light" is made up of of the combined varying wavelengths of colored light. When light from the sun hits the atmosphere these different types of colored light are diffused, essentially bouncing off of the gas molecules that make up the atmosphere. The shortest wavelength of colored light is blue, and becuse of its short wavelength it makes more "bounces" between gas molecules compared to the other colors before it makes it to the surface. That's what makes the sky blue, we're actually seeing the blue light thats bouncing between the gases in the atmosphere.

On a similar note, this is what also makes the sky turn yellow, orange, red, and purple during dawn and sunset. Our position on the earth during those times allow us to see the remaining colors as they "bounce" through the atmosphere over the horizon from the dayside.

Answer 4

yes, the sky is blue because it absorbs all other colors and reflects blue. but the reason why blue is reflected is because of the nitrogen gas content present in the atmosphere mixed with CO2 and O2, that's why the sky is blue.

Answer 5

Because the elements present in the atmosphere absorb all colors in the spectrum except blue, thus reflecting it.

Answer 6

Actually, the sky is every color but blue. Blue is the color it reflects, (the color we see). It absorbes all the rest of the colors, making it appear blue

Answer 7

reflection from the ocean

Answer 8

I don't know, but I know what is greater than god, what rhymes with orange, and where the other dollar went.

Maybe some of these people know.

http://answers.yahoo.com/question/index;_ylt=AoclgkS1HktFEs2SLYLtaoYjzKIX?qid=20060821154042AAsV2bz

http://answers.yahoo.com/question/index;_ylt=ApB4NoULKJPv_c4BISIwVpUjzKIX?qid=20060811134408AARLZkf

http://answers.yahoo.com/question/index;_ylt=Ag88BdP1h9lITSPAi8YDh4AjzKIX?qid=1006041611802

http://answers.yahoo.com/question/index;_ylt=Aizsx1hgrMqvhz9tbPuNsEIjzKIX?qid=20060825164415AAJWUy2

http://answers.yahoo.com/question/index;_ylt=ApQ0l8J8.xB5vkF5.vFS_KsjzKIX?qid=20060722052816AAbMFPU

http://answers.yahoo.com/question/index;_ylt=AkbB8.VN4op47EpOzaes5UQjzKIX?qid=1006032107844

http://answers.yahoo.com/question/index;_ylt=Aq33ONPoMvMbun.yFId0oEkjzKIX?qid=1006042425914

http://answers.yahoo.com/question/index;_ylt=AhyryTihy1jBul7AG8j6fgEjzKIX?qid=1006012620872

http://answers.yahoo.com/question/index;_ylt=Arqn5ZTyaKWj3WzR7wboMeojzKIX?qid=1006011202888

http://answers.yahoo.com/question/index;_ylt=Ap3PJ0WszarVUmcap8Vg7vEjzKIX?qid=20060813200908AAnqaqj

http://answers.yahoo.com/question/index;_ylt=An1wzBRDduFBmyp.BDeCWCQjzKIX?qid=1006040818438

http://answers.yahoo.com/question/index;_ylt=Ao4rNLiPVAzoqQgIUK2u1ssjzKIX?qid=1006031103740

http://answers.yahoo.com/question/index;_ylt=AhSG0tAd0ZjaPExf9SxxUQkjzKIX?qid=1006040108864

http://answers.yahoo.com/question/index;_ylt=AlcA.9_OnDeZMcIW7x4Pg.4jzKIX?qid=20060911160516AASK6kZ

http://answers.yahoo.com/question/index;_ylt=AmyCiOHsHvH1ku0jBR3YxlUjzKIX?qid=20060628231238AAiWz6U

http://answers.yahoo.com/question/index;_ylt=Aoi.c3dAx9zW8U4LQPPE2JEjzKIX?qid=20060616180125AAvNKTn

http://answers.yahoo.com/question/index;_ylt=AmqMxXnrOkMlYpN1Vc9IXAwjzKIX?qid=1006040310353

http://answers.yahoo.com/question/index;_ylt=ApW1ZbaNhDq90npoSzAnXNkjzKIX?qid=20061023032754AAlFjvS

http://answers.yahoo.com/question/index;_ylt=AiEtYfYwf_vLbqv7wEtPVZAjzKIX?qid=20061031132405AAoinmy

http://answers.yahoo.com/question/index;_ylt=An3KoJgue4YbPSuviXb6iAsjzKIX?qid=1006012702627

http://answers.yahoo.com/question/index;_ylt=As_jCpUVf0fQZbI0m6jVHu0jzKIX?qid=20060714175655AAkV5ZL

http://answers.yahoo.com/question/index;_ylt=Alyg4XdtZN1Fgrpk7oNWUWojzKIX?qid=20060902201926AAvDW4F

http://answers.yahoo.com/question/index;_ylt=AjKH9VcgDwYwtsIL5m5zIm8jzKIX?qid=20060917102726AAQ6BIp

http://answers.yahoo.com/question/index;_ylt=AnGVlCFMwPR_ZW6Ee0sT2EYjzKIX?qid=20061001113851AAYOfXw

http://answers.yahoo.com/question/index;_ylt=Ak.UBSRjlgri6x2EZoM6.fQjzKIX?qid=1006052318763

http://answers.yahoo.com/question/index;_ylt=AvRUqw8oYiX.qC35sWrXJV0jzKIX?qid=20061027091041AAh31DX

http://answers.yahoo.com/question/index;_ylt=AgLMilgKNcRsXrqmsi9APCcjzKIX?qid=1006033028773

http://answers.yahoo.com/question/index;_ylt=AgyArbukxAdqs_rrxC5QAlgjzKIX?qid=1006052409787

http://answers.yahoo.com/question/index;_ylt=AjryLsGlnIYaxzGhB0g.hIQjzKIX?qid=1006042309777

http://answers.yahoo.com/question/index;_ylt=Atee7zDSNi53HYuTwvGd1uIjzKIX?qid=1005121103085

http://answers.yahoo.com/question/index;_ylt=AsSB9VfhfPyVIFNwJeRuOAojzKIX?qid=20060924185828AARoBwB

http://answers.yahoo.com/question/index;_ylt=Akr7uA3VROmVJkKT0noTphIjzKIX?qid=20060927145312AA1ndKz

http://answers.yahoo.com/question/index;_ylt=ApD.5jNrjBY_hP6qxUN.x5sjzKIX?qid=20061031065205AA1afek

http://answers.yahoo.com/question/index;_ylt=AkZxTkLGHTPuUkJ4QtjeC5QjzKIX?qid=1006041014669

http://answers.yahoo.com/question/index;_ylt=AnUsYy_SsCbi9IuDCEQk9f8jzKIX?qid=1006012704082

http://answers.yahoo.com/question/index;_ylt=Ahdfv9gyqgQThnMdeQxa.FQjzKIX?qid=20060727202558AACNOFU

http://answers.yahoo.com/question/index;_ylt=AjIzjTgSb4vLIHq7E4eoDawjzKIX?qid=20061003084712AADxBph

http://answers.yahoo.com/question/index;_ylt=AhW3Yf7g4npIIozpKl72f1wjzKIX?qid=20060828125726AAHcdPu

http://answers.yahoo.com/question/index;_ylt=AskAQELK4KNHCexVka61JGcjzKIX?qid=20060813192614AAiUpjX

http://answers.yahoo.com/question/index;_ylt=AnMcMD4V9xUZ4ZbuHCeExsYjzKIX?qid=20061003184338AAclkqK

http://answers.yahoo.com/question/index;_ylt=AoC0VQTwrzTz.CArXBLuq5nzy6IX?qid=20061103184517AAGro4v

http://answers.yahoo.com/question/index;_ylt=AgNOc.HJ7fA2EANypqHn6.vzy6IX?qid=20061104180448AArI3XY

http://answers.yahoo.com/question/index;_ylt=AqgJhvE6mR7HEv4Rg0aZzwQjzKIX?qid=20061106085932AAOhRmN

http://answers.yahoo.com/question/index;_ylt=AslF_KFXEwBVzawax.ciV0MjzKIX?qid=20061105211815AAtjF1k

http://answers.yahoo.com/question/index;_ylt=AtF9.mZxoKYzfty4_KsZWfYjzKIX?qid=20061107112457AArRAJy

http://answers.yahoo.com/question/index;_ylt=AkHOPhmTj6DNMp_EBjmRE54jzKIX?qid=20061105123405AA61boz

http://answers.yahoo.com/question/index;_ylt=***.2mAhJeUl3KJrTpZiTMQjzKIX?qid=20061108091236AAcyyQt

http://answers.yahoo.com/question/index;_ylt=Aum3Ann4zjH7ta8mItya9w7zy6IX?qid=20061112153359AAQIB3E

http://answers.yahoo.com/question/index;_ylt=AhRzNG.JpENJj_Nbb9parBcjzKIX?qid=20061114143949AAOgKGf

http://answers.yahoo.com/question/index;_ylt=AtUclHup.DfhrR805Lkq1Z4jzKIX?qid=20061117114801AAeFpns

http://answers.yahoo.com/question/index;_ylt=As99F6gRc9zcCeXXvJY8XXojzKIX?qid=20061114195824AAmsrdB

http://answers.yahoo.com/question/index;_ylt=AuSA8ZDbDtCs6iu9Xk_YFq8jzKIX?qid=20061117223831AAzyPRP

http://answers.yahoo.com/question/index;_ylt=As.xULUPUbe9BEmTKAktiHYjzKIX?qid=20061118211355AAcKl6x

http://answers.yahoo.com/question/index;_ylt=AiykfqoMeJIcyHkYsiQxXfEjzKIX?qid=20061119123632AA7eovd

http://answers.yahoo.com/question/index;_ylt=AiP4Bn9iM8_nhGhHUYHKcpojzKIX?qid=20061119173400AAnRbCE

http://answers.yahoo.com/question/index;_ylt=AhBDMfsQSAZDc9qTiOeyY_IjzKIX?qid=20061117205733AAZGSVq

http://answers.yahoo.com/question/index;_ylt=ArD_LdsYja7DjE.sIgNvqXwjzKIX?qid=20061117114801AAeFpns

http://answers.yahoo.com/question/index;_ylt=ArXS4XPOnF9VWPfWRu0wRRYjzKIX?qid=20061119114915AAnaq2G

http://answers.yahoo.com/question/index;_ylt=AoX0nHaxQqm4HT9pZYJ.J5AjzKIX?qid=20061120003558AAPDXvI

http://answers.yahoo.com/question/index;_ylt=AjoDkmoljp0PJOMwp9HNcWMjzKIX?qid=20061120003326AA43pWR