Colors of Rainbows
The
traditional view of the colors that make up the rainbow are Red,
Orange, Yellow, Green, Blue, Indigo, and Violet. In fact a
rainbow is made up of the entire spectrum of colors from red to
violet and beyond to the ultraviolet and infrared sections of the
spectrum, which the eye is not capable of detecting.
The speed of the wavelength of white light before it hits the raindrop determines the color a raindrop will emit. If the wavelength of white light travels at a slow speed, then the wavelength of light will bend more when it enters the raindrop.
Figure 2. Source :
http://redbaron.bishops.ntc.nf.ca/science/physics/papers/rainbow.htm
Wavelength of the color violet is bent the most when it enters the raindrop.While red light is bent the least when it enters the raindrop. The violetlight will emerge from the raindrop at an angle of 40 degrees relative tothe observer's line of sight. While red light will emerge at an angle of 42 degrees. Thus, violet light has the shortest wavelength. Red, being at the opposite edge, has the longest wavelength. Moving from the violet edge through the colors to red at the opposite edge the wavelength gets longer. Other colorsof the spectrum can be seen in between 40 and 42 degrees relative to the observer'sline of sight. It is important to note that only one color of light is emittedfrom each raindrop. A large amount of raindrops produce a wide spectrum ofcolors of a rainbow. There are certain colors which cannot be seen by the eye.This is why the observer sees four to five solid colors of a rainbow. The colorbands of a rainbow always have the same order since the shorter wavelengths of light are refracted more than the longer wavelength.
The speed of the wavelength of white light before it hits the raindrop determines the color a raindrop will emit. If the wavelength of white light travels at a slow speed, then the wavelength of light will bend more when it enters the raindrop.
Figure 2. Source :
http://redbaron.bishops.ntc.nf.ca/science/physics/papers/rainbow.htm
Wavelength of the color violet is bent the most when it enters the raindrop.While red light is bent the least when it enters the raindrop. The violetlight will emerge from the raindrop at an angle of 40 degrees relative tothe observer's line of sight. While red light will emerge at an angle of 42 degrees. Thus, violet light has the shortest wavelength. Red, being at the opposite edge, has the longest wavelength. Moving from the violet edge through the colors to red at the opposite edge the wavelength gets longer. Other colorsof the spectrum can be seen in between 40 and 42 degrees relative to the observer'sline of sight. It is important to note that only one color of light is emittedfrom each raindrop. A large amount of raindrops produce a wide spectrum ofcolors of a rainbow. There are certain colors which cannot be seen by the eye.This is why the observer sees four to five solid colors of a rainbow. The colorbands of a rainbow always have the same order since the shorter wavelengths of light are refracted more than the longer wavelength.