• Question: how are rainbows formed??

    Asked by Aniela_Chloe. to Matthew, Neil, Paula, Pete, Philippa on 13 Mar 2015.
    • Photo: Pete Symons

      Pete Symons answered on 13 Mar 2015:

      Hi Aniela_chloe,

      I remember this one cropping up during the web chat today, i just never got the opportunity to answer you.

      Rainbows happen when sunlight passes through water droplets (rain), the sunlight separate into the colours of the rainbow when it passed through a raindrop much like a prism. Sunlight is actually made up of all the different colours of a rainbow but when it passes through the rain drop it splits all the colours out.

      I hope this answers your question.

    • Photo: Philippa Jefferis

      Philippa Jefferis answered on 15 Mar 2015:

      Exactly as Pete described – however, I’m still convinced there must be a pot of gold at the end of a rainbow if you do ever manage to find the end!

      The reason the light splits up into different colours is because the different coloured light has different wavelengths, and so travels slightly differently through the prism of the raindrop, causing it to separate out into its 7colours.

    • Photo: Neil Taylor

      Neil Taylor answered on 16 Mar 2015:

      Hi!

      I think Pete and Philippa covered pretty much everything, so I’m struggling to find anything to add!

      I think it’s great that you’re thinking about the way things are though – keep it up!

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