2007-12-19 11:53:48 · 12 answers · asked by eleni e 1 in Science & Mathematics ➔ Earth Sciences & Geology
it's a reflection of light off of water droplets.
the light is really light and the water is really rain.
but- you won't find a pot of gold at the end of one. Or, at least probably not.
2007-12-19 11:58:03 · answer #1 · answered by Morey000 7 · 1⤊ 1⤋
Yes but No. People half a mile apart see a different rainbow. If you try to get to YOUR rainbow, it will move away as fast as you travel. The pot of Gold joke, is based on that, everyone laughs as a simpleton runs to the spot on a beach he can see the end is at , but never gets there.
2007-12-20 08:45:40 · answer #2 · answered by eastanglianuk1951 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋
If you define the rainbow as the light we see, it is really there. if it weren't, you would not see anything. Is there physically anything there where it looks like the rainbow is? That is more difficult. The rainbow is created by the prism effect of rain drops so the rain drops are really there. The problem comes from the number of rain drops involved and that fact that the rainbow depends on where the viewer is.
2007-12-19 19:59:42 · answer #3 · answered by Gary H 7 · 0⤊ 1⤋
It is not reflection of light. It is refraction of light which causes rainbows. Refraction is bending of light. Different wave lengths of light (different colors) refract at different angles, in turn seperating white light into the 8 colors.
If you consider light to "be there," then the rainbow is also there. All light is "something," so yes, it is really there.
2007-12-20 00:03:53 · answer #4 · answered by Tom N 1 · 0⤊ 1⤋
Yes it is real, but it is an optical phenomenon, not a physical thing. It is due the dispersion of colours during the total internal reflection of sunlight in raindrops.
2007-12-19 20:30:46 · answer #5 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
No. It's no more "there" than your reflection in a mirror can be said to be "there". It's is light that you see caused by the refraction of white light into it's component colours by water droplets. It's an illusion.
2007-12-20 03:32:54 · answer #6 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
Incidentally, we are told in the bible that rainbows are a reminder from God to let us know that he would never again send a deluge like the one in Noah's day.
Genesis 9:8-17
2007-12-19 20:12:33 · answer #7 · answered by headcage 2 · 1⤊ 2⤋
The sun shines through the raindrops thats how you get the colours.
2007-12-21 08:29:01 · answer #8 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
Yeah it is real
its due to the dispersion of colours or something
2007-12-20 10:43:49 · answer #9 · answered by Emma :) 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋
As is there a sound if a tree falls in a wood and there is no-one to hear.
2007-12-19 20:03:06 · answer #10 · answered by brianthesnailuk2002 6 · 0⤊ 0⤋