A rainbow is observed after a rain shower when sunlight passes through water droplets in the air. Which process primarily causes the separation of colors seen in a rainbow?
Refraction of sunlight followed by dispersion in water droplets
When sunlight enters a raindrop, it is refracted (bent) at the air–water surface.
Water has a slightly different refractive index for each wavelength, so the different colours bend by different amounts — this splitting of white light into its colours is dispersion (violet bends most, red least).
The light then undergoes internal reflection at the back of the drop and is refracted again as it leaves, spreading the colours further to form the rainbow.
Absorption by droplets would dim light, not separate colours. Scattering by air molecules causes the blue sky, not a rainbow. Reflection alone from the drop's surface does not split white light into colours.
Hence, the answer is Refraction of sunlight followed by dispersion in water droplets.
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Twinkling of stars is due to:
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A. Rear View mirrors in vehicles
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C. Makeup Mirror
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