How Is A Rainbow Formed?

Beautiful colors of rainbow in the sky

Beautiful colors of rainbow in the sky

Rainbow is one of the natural process that produces an amazingly beautiful scenery. How is the process behind that beautiful colors of a rainbow?

A rainbow is formed due to the refraction of sunlight by raindrops that fall to the Earth. When sunlight passes through the water droplets, the light is refracted or deflected in such a way to make the colors that exist in the light become separated. This process is called the dispersion of light.

Well, refraction or dispersion process is what led to the light becoming fragmented into many different colors. The process of bending of each color in the water droplets have a different angle, for example, red is the last deflected color, while purple is the very first one deflected.

The Sun’s light is the light that is composed of several colors or often referred to by the term polychromatic. The light which can be captured by the human eye without tools is just 7 colors namely red, orange, yellow, green, blue, indigo, and violet. Those colors are also known as visible light.

The rainbow occurs when light experience refraction process when light from the sun exposed to rain water. A rainbow can only be seen at a time when there were rain accompanied by light from the Sun. The position of the observer is also decisive, i.e. between the rain and the Sun, and the Sun is behind the Viewer. As a result a rainbow is made from refraction process and the right position of the observer.



scenery is a word for how a place looks, especially a beautiful, outdoorsy place


refraction is the bending of light or sound as it passes through something like a wall (sound) or a window (light)


droplet is a tiny drop, a small indefinite quantity (especially of a liquid)


refract means the bending of the light beam, by lenses, prisms, or water droplets.


deflect describes blocking something or changing its course; turn from a straight course, fixed direction, or line of interest


dispersion means spreading widely or driving off


fragment is a small piece that’s come off a larger whole


to compose is to put something together, like a song, poem, or even yourself; put together out of existing material


polychromatic means composed of more than one wavelength, having or exhibiting many colors


to expose means to uncover or allow to be in the open air


accompany means go or travel along with


decisive means determining or having the power to determine an outcome

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By English Kid Zone