When the sun emerges after rain, you'll often witness the beautiful phenomenon of a rainbow.
The Science Behind the Rainbow
After rainfall, the atmosphere is still filled with countless tiny water droplets. According to the provided reference, these water droplets remain in the atmosphere after heavy rains. These droplets act like tiny prisms.
How a Rainbow Forms
- Sunlight Enters: Sunlight, which is actually composed of all the colors of the spectrum, enters these water droplets.
- Refraction: As the sunlight passes into the droplet, it bends, or refracts.
- Internal Reflection: The light then reflects off the back of the droplet.
- Refraction Again: Finally, as the light exits the droplet, it refracts again, separating into its individual colors.
- Visible Spectrum: This separation is what forms the visible rainbow, showcasing colors such as red, orange, yellow, green, blue, indigo, and violet. The provided reference confirms that these water droplets break the sunlight into different colors forming a rainbow.
Other Effects of the Sun After Rain
Besides rainbows, the sun coming out after rain often means:
- Evaporation: The sun’s energy will cause the remaining water on the ground to evaporate, returning water vapor to the atmosphere.
- Increased humidity: The air might still feel humid for a while, as the evaporated water lingers.
- Warming: The sun will start to warm the air and the ground.
