Rainbow

High school (ages 12+)
Environment & Earth

Name:

Date:

Step 1 · Read the article

Open the article and read it at the level above. Then answer the questions below in your own words.

https://smallwhale.org/articles/rainbow

Write what each word means, using the article.

Do not copy the article. Write two things you learned, the way you would explain them to a friend.

Answers below are taken from the article’s stored facts, so they match what the student read.

1. What is the angular radius (primary)?Approximately 40-42 degrees from the antisolar point
2. What is the angular radius (secondary)?Approximately 51-54 degrees from the antisolar point
3. What causes a rainbow?A rainbow happens when sunlight passes through tiny water droplets in the air. The light bends, reflects inside the droplet, and bends again, splitting into many colors that we see as a bright arc.
4. Why is the red color on the outside of a rainbow?Red light bends at a slightly larger angle than violet light when it exits the droplet. This makes the red part of the rainbow appear on the outer edge, while violet is on the inner edge.

Antisolar Point: The point in the sky directly opposite the sun from the observer's viewpoint.
Wavelength-Dependent Refraction: The phenomenon where different wavelengths (colors) of light bend at slightly different angles.
Atmospheric Optics: The study of optical phenomena that occur in the atmosphere, such as rainbows and halos.