Why sky appears reddish orange at sunrise or sunset?

Sunlight suffers dispersion and only reddish light reach our eyes

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Sunlight experiences different degree of refraction due to change in density during night

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Sunlight has to travel longer path and blue light is scattered away, while red and yellow light is scattered least

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The reflection of earth's surface from horizon produces reddish orange colour

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Solution

The correct option is B Sunlight has to travel longer path and blue light is scattered away, while red and yellow light is scattered least
White light is a combination of all the lights. During sunrise/sunset, rays have to travel larger distances and as red light scatters least, it is capable to reach our eyes while rest of the components are scattered away. Hence, sky appears reddish orange during sunrise or sunset.

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Similar questions

Q. What is meant by scattering of light? Use this phenomenon to explain why the clear sky appears blue or the sun appears reddish at sunrise.

Question 10
Which of the following phenomena contributes significantly to the reddish appearance of the sun at sunrise or sunset?

(a) Dispersion of light
(b) Scattering of light
(c) Total internal reflection of light
(d) Reflection of light from the earth

Question 10
Which of the following phenomena contributes significantly to the reddish appearance of the sun at sunrise or sunset?

a) Dispersion of light

b) Scattering of light

c) Total internal reflection of light

d) Reflection of light from the earth

Q. Sun appears red at sunrise and sunset. This is due to light having _________ gets scattered away.

(a) Draw a neat and labelled diagram of the experimental set up for observing the scattering of light in a colloidal solution of sulphur to show how the sky appears blue, and the sun appears red at sunrise and sunset.
(b) Out of blue light and red light, which one is scattered more easily ?
(c) Which component of sunlight is scattered away when the sun appears red at sunrise or sunset ?
(d) What causes the scattering of blue component of sunlight in the atmosphere ?

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