What Causes a Rainbow to Appear?

A rainbow happens when sunlight meets water droplets in the air. The light bends as it goes into and out of each drop, splitting into different colors. This is like when a prism splits white light into a spectrum of colors. You see a rainbow because the water drops act like tiny prisms, and your eyes catch the colored light from many drops at once.

Why Do We See Rainbows?

Rainbows appear after it rains and the sun comes out. The sunlight bends in each raindrop, creating the colorful arc you see.

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Examples

  1. A rainbow appears after it rains when the sun comes out.
  2. You see a rainbow in the sky if you're standing between the sun and the rain.
  3. Raindrops act like tiny prisms, splitting white light into colors.

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Categories: Physics · optics· light· weather