Question

Explain the formation of the rainbow after a shower. Can we expect to see a rainbow on a hot dry day?

Answer 1

1.1 Formation of RAINBOW:

1. Rainbow is an optical phenomenon that takes place when the light from the Sun enters the water droplet present in the air.
2. As the light passes into the water droplet, the light refracts, because the light is travelling from rarer to denser medium.
3. The light bounces off the water droplet and traverses back the same path.
4. The speed increases when the light leaves the droplet as it goes from denser to rarer medium.
5. A VIBGYOR is formed which we see as a rainbow.
   

1.2 Rainbow on a hot dry day:

1. A rainbow cannot be seen on a hot dry day because of the absence of water droplets in the air which act as a prism for splitting the light into seven colors of the rainbow.