How Does Rainbow form ?

Q. How Does Rainbow form ?

Ans- A rainbow is a natural spectrum appearing in the sky after a rain shower. It is caused by dispersion of sunlight by tiny water droplets, present in the atmosphere. A rainbow is always formed in a direction opposite to that of the Sun. The water droplets act like small prisms. They refract and disperse the incident sunlight, then reflect it internally, and finally, refract it again when it comes out of the raindrop. Due to the dispersion of light and internal reflection, different colors reach the observer’s eye.

Steps of formation of rainbow:-

Formation of Rainbow

1. During monsoon, there are water particles present in the air.
2. When rain occurs on a sunny day, the sunlight passes through these water droplets.
3. Sunlight is white light that consists of seven colors.
4. Therefore, when this white light experiences refraction through these water droplets, dispersion occurs.
5. These dispersed rays again suffer a total internal reflection from the opposite end of the water droplet.
6. After experiencing the final refraction from the surface of the water droplet, a rainbow is formed.