When it is overcast, is there a difference with light wavelengths in the sky? (by amount or type)?

Question

wavelengths as in the visible colours of light in the sky.. (http://academic.kellogg.cc.mi.us/herbrandsonc/bio111/images/metabolism/metabo4.jpg)

help would be VERY much appreciated! THANKS in advance!

Answer 1

In physics, wavelength is the distance between repeating units of a propagating wave of a given frequency. Examples of wave-like phenonomena are light, water waves, and sound waves.

Visible light ranges from deep red, roughly 700 nm to violet, roughly 400 nm (430--750 THz).

wave speed (c) = frequency x wavelength

x between frequency and wavelength refer to multiplication in wave speed formula

energy = Planck's constant (h) x frequency

or

energy x wavelength = Planck's constant (h) x wave speed (c)

c is the speed of light, 299,792,458 m/s (exact)
h is Planck's constant
x is multiplication sign

So, high-frequency electromagnetic waves have a short wavelength and high energy; low-frequency waves have a long wavelength and low energy.

When light waves (and other electromagnetic waves) enter a medium, their wavelength is reduced, so when it is overcast, clouds will contribute to density, and made light wavelengths shorter, thus high frequency, and high energy.

The colors of the visible light spectrum from longest to shortest wavelength are:

red, orange, yellow, green, blue, violet

There are many color perceptions that by definition cannot be pure spectral colors due to desaturation or because they are purples (mixtures of red and violet light, from opposite ends of the spectrum). Some examples of necessarily non-spectral colors are the achromatic colors (black, gray and white) When it is overcast, our color perception is usually gray due to desaturation or because they are purple which is closer to violet, the shortest wavelength amongs the colors of the visible light spectrum due to density of the weather because of the clouds.

Answer 2

This begs the question: Why is the Sky blue ?

The short answer is because of the particles that scatter light, tend to be of a size that scatters blue the most.

As you change the particles, you can get different colors. Lots of dust can give you red, lots of water can give you the fluffy white or angry dark blue, and a mix of dust and moving clouds can cast a greenish color.

When there is rain on one side of the horizon and the sun on the other side... a familiar 43 degree angle will scatter light into an interesting, characteristic glow... that can include a beautiful rainbow

All of these different colors, result from different wavelengths in the sky.... So the short answer is yes.

There are different light wavelengths that are scattered in the sky when it is overcast.

Answer 3

Have you ever gone outside on a cloudy day and still found yourself squinting?

Answer 4

yes