How Do Rainbows Form?

The video explains how rainbows are formed using sunlight, water, and the observer's position. Sunlight, containing all visible colors, refracts when passing through water droplets, causing different colors to exit at varying angles. This dispersion allows us to see individual colors. Rainbows are visible when sunlight is behind the observer and low in the sky, with each raindrop refracting a specific color to the observer's eye. Although rainbows form a full circle, the ground usually obstructs the lower half, making only the arc visible. In rare conditions, a full circular rainbow can be seen from high altitudes.

What are the three essential components needed to create a rainbow?

• Sunlight, water, and air

• Sunlight, air, and you

• Sunlight, water, and you

• Water, air, and you

What happens to light when it moves from air to water?

• It speeds up and exits at a different angle

• It slows down and exits at the same angle

• It slows down and exits at a different angle

• It speeds up and exits at the same angle

Under what conditions can a rainbow be seen?

• When the sun is low in the sky and in front of you

• When the sun is high in the sky and behind you

• When the sun is low in the sky and behind you

• When the sun is high in the sky and in front of you

Why do we usually see only a semicircle of a rainbow?

• Because the Earth blocks the lower half

• Because the sun is too high

• Because the colors are too faint

• Because the raindrops are too small

Who might be able to see a full circular rainbow?

• People standing on the ground

• Skydivers, pilots, and mountaineers

• People at sea level

• Astronauts in space