Why Do We See Rainbows?

What You'll Learn

• Rainbows happen when sunlight passes through raindrops and bends
• White sunlight is actually made of all the colors mixed together
• When light bends in a raindrop, it splits into 7 colors: red, orange, yellow, green, blue, indigo, violet
• Each color bends at a slightly different angle
• You can only see a rainbow when the sun is behind you and rain is in front

Words to Know

Rainbow

A curved arc of colors in the sky

"A rainbow appeared after the rain."

Bend

When light changes direction

"Light bends inside raindrops."

Sunlight

Light from the sun — all colors mixed

"Sunlight looks white but has all colors."

Prism

A shape that splits light into colors

"A raindrop works like a prism."

Check What You Learned

Fun Facts

• Rainbows form when sunlight is refracted (bent) and reflected inside raindrops

  Source: NASA

• White sunlight contains all colors of the visible spectrum

  Source: American Physical Society

• Light splits into 7 colors: red, orange, yellow, green, blue, indigo, violet (ROYGBIV)

  Source: Physics textbooks

• Each color has a different wavelength and bends at a different angle — red bends least, violet most

  Source: Optical Society of America

• A rainbow is actually a full circle, but the ground blocks the bottom half

  Source: NOAA

• Rainbows only appear when the sun is behind the observer and rain is in front

  Source: National Weather Service