why is the sky blue?

Answer 1

The blue color of the sky is caused by the scattering of sunlight off the molecules of the atmosphere. This scattering, called Rayleigh scattering, is more effective at short wavelengths (the blue end of the visible spectrum). Therefore the light scattered down to the earth at a large angle with respect to the direction of the sun's light is predominantly in the blue end of the spectrum.

The strong wavelength dependence of Rayleigh scattering enhances the short wavelengths. Intensity is INVERSLY proportional to fourth power of wavelength.

Note that the blue of the sky is more saturated when you look further from the sun. The almost white scattering near the sun can be attributed to MIE Scattering, which is not very wavelength dependent.

Clouds in contrast to the blue sky appear white to achromatic gray.The water droplets that make up the cloud are much larger than the molecules of the air and the scattering from them is almost independent of wavelength in the visible range.

Answer 2

Why is the sky blue?

The sky is blue due to an atmosphetic effect called Rayleigh scattering - certainly not because its reflecting the ocean which people sometimes say! Rayleigh scattering involves the scattering of light by molecules smaller than the wavelength of light. It has a smaller effect on colours with longer wavelengths and that is why the sky is blue - and also in fact why the sun is yellow - if you added up all the blue tint in the sky and focused it in the area of sun you would get its actual colour of bright white, which is what you’d see in space.

Physicists used to say that Rayleigh diffraction was responsible for the reddish tint in sunrise and sunset because the light had to travel through more atmosphere to reach us however this is currently disputed and there is another optical theorem at work called 'Lorenz-Mie theory'.

http://science.howstuffworks.com/question39.htm
http://math.ucr.edu/home/baez/physics/General/BlueSky/blue_sky.html
http://hyperphysics.phy-astr.gsu.edu/hbase/atmos/blusky.html
http://www.exo.net/~pauld/physics/why_is_sky_blue.html

Kind regards.

Answer 3

Blue, blue -- the sky is blue!!

Because there are lots of particles in the atmosphere that disperse light coming to and going from the earth's surface. This dispersion of light makes the sky blue, blue -- the sky is blue.

Yellow, yellow, dirty fellow!! Yeahh!!!!!

Answer 4

Its called scattering. Molecules scatter blue light more than red light from the sun. During sunset, they scatter red light more.

Answer 5

because the most abundant gas is the atmosphere only reflects the blue light of the light spectrum

Answer 6

It isn't Light refraction causes it to appear blue.

Answer 7

Because blue is a better color than green or lilac!

Answer 8

its the color ya get from the sun reflecting off of the ozone

Answer 9

Where are you? Mines Grey !

Answer 10

BECAUSE I WANT TO MAKE IT RED BUT GOD SAID "NOOOOOO" SO HE PUT HE INTO HELL.THIS SUCKS.