2007-02-02 02:31:01 · 5 answers · asked by Anonymous in Science & Mathematics ➔ Weather
Yes and no on the refraction answers above.
The prism refracts light as it passes through and projects a spectrum on a surface that is on the other side from the light source.
The light hitting the raindrops is not passing through, but being reflected back toward the light-source.
The raindrops behave very similarly to the glass beads that are sprinkled on roadway paint to make the stripes reflect your headlights.
On the way back, the light beams come off the raindrops at a slight angle and are then refracted into the spectrum.
Certainly you have noticed that the rainbow always occurs with the sun to your back. You can reproduce one to verify this by spraying a mist from a garden hose into the air on a sunny day.
Also, the rainbow can only be seen where it is still raining and the sun is behind you.
Yes the pat answer is to say you see the spectrum of colors because of refraction. But it's not exactly that simple.
2007-02-02 02:45:57 · answer #1 · answered by Marty S 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋
It is God's promise to not destroy the world by flood a second time.
Wikipedia says "A rainbow is an optical and meteorological phenomenon that causes a nearly continuous spectrum of light to appear in the sky when the Sun shines onto droplets of moisture in the Earth's atmosphere. It takes the form of a multicoloured arc, with red on the outside and violet on the inside. "
2007-02-02 10:37:12 · answer #2 · answered by istitch2 6 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Its the sun showing through the tiny mist droplets and bieng refracted throught the water
2007-02-02 10:34:51 · answer #3 · answered by Health nut/Extremley Active 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Its the refraction of the light through the water droplets, just like light through a prism
2007-02-02 10:34:17 · answer #4 · answered by Robert B 4 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Because God keeps His word
2007-02-06 08:30:45 · answer #5 · answered by da dude 4 · 0⤊ 0⤋