What Makes a Rainbow Appear in the Sky?

Rainbows happen when sunlight plays hide and seek with water droplets in the air. The light bends (like a straw in a glass of water) as it goes through the drops, splitting into colors like a prism. This creates the colorful arc you see in the sky, and if you're lucky, even a double rainbow!

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Examples

A rainbow appears after a summer shower when the sun comes out.
Children in a park point at a colorful arc across the sky after the rain stops.
On a rainy day, you see a rainbow on your way to school.

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Categories: Physics · light· refraction· rainbow formation· optics· weather phenomena