How Rainbows Work
Sunlight plus raindrops equals a sky full of color.
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- White light. Sunlight looks white, but it is really every color mixed together.
- Bend. When sunlight enters a raindrop, the drop bends the light. Scientists call this refraction.
- Bounce. The light bounces off the back of the drop (that is reflection) and bends again on its way out.
- Split! All that bending splits the light into its colors: red, orange, yellow, green, blue, indigo, and violet.
Did you know? To spot a rainbow, the sun must be behind you and the rain in front of you. No two people ever see exactly the same rainbow!
