Book 4, Question 82 · Video
Why Do We See Rainbows?
A rainbow is sunlight split apart and sent back by raindrops! Each drop acts like a tiny prism and a tiny mirror at the same time. And the whole bow is made of millions of drops.
Read the full answer →What Crafty Clover says in this video
Intro
Hey there, curious minds! I'm Crafty Clover! Let's discover something amazing. Why do we see rainbows?
The Big Idea
A rainbow is sunlight split apart and sent back by raindrops! Each drop acts like a tiny prism and a tiny mirror at the same time. And the whole bow is made of millions of drops.
Sun Behind, Rain in Front
Step one: the sun is behind you, and the rain is in front. To see a rainbow, you must stand with your back to the sun, while drops of rain hang in the air in front of you. No rain, or no sun, means no rainbow.
Light Enters the Drop
Step two: light enters the drop, and the colors begin to split. When sunlight goes into a raindrop, it bends. Different colors bend by different amounts, so the white light starts to fan out into colors. Red bends the least, and violet bends the most.
Light Bounces, Bow Appears
Step three: the light bounces, and the bow appears. The light reflects off the back of the drop, and bends again as it comes out. Millions of drops together paint a bow across the sky, with red on top and violet below. What a show!
A Closer Look
Let's take a closer look at a raindrop prism! Incoming sunlight enters the top of the drop. It bounces off the back, and the colors fan out. The fan of colors heads back toward the observer, which is you!
Quick Facts
Quick facts! Nobody else stands in exactly your spot, so each person sees a personal bow. In a double rainbow, the second, fainter bow has its colors flipped. If you look toward the sun, you won't see the bow. Enjoy rainbows from the ground, because wet roads after rain are slippery.
Think Like a Scientist
Now, think like a scientist! After a shower, find a rainbow. Where is the sun? What job does each raindrop do? Would walking change the bow? With a grown-up, spray a fine mist with the sun behind you.
Outro
Sunlight and raindrops team up to paint the sky! Crafty Clover can be found on Amazon Books, Google Bookstore, and Apple Books. Available for purchase or download! Bye for now!