Decoded: The magic behind rainbows

Rainbow is one of the most fascinating phenomena of nature. Folklore suggests that you can find a pot of gold at the end of a rainbow, but in reality, is there an end? Rainbow, which comes in seven colours (red, orange, yellow, green, blue, indigo, and violet), appeals to our sense of beauty, magic, and wonder. It is an optical phenomenon occurring through the actions of sunlight and rain shower. A few places where rainbows often strike are near fountains, rivers, and oceans when the waves crash against the rocks to create a mist in the air for sunlight to refract through. Here’s everything kids need to know about rainbows.  

The formation of rainbows 
Rainbows are formed under specific weather conditions. The process involves millions of tiny rain droplets serving as reflectors of sunlight. The formation occurs when light travels in a series of dispersion, refraction, reflection, and refraction again. Each droplet serves a purpose in the formation of a rainbow. White light enters each rain droplet and exits as one specific colour on the rainbow spectrum.  

Dispersion: The breaking up of a white light prism into six main colours under light is called the process of dispersion.  

Refraction: When light travels from one medium to another like in the case of air to a prism or air to water, it changes directions. This process is called refraction. When a water droplet is being dispersed light strikes it and refraction happens at the same time. 

Reflection: The dispersed and refracted light travels to the other side of the water droplet where it reflects towards the direction that it initially came from but at a different angle. This process is called reflection.  

Refraction: This is the final step wherein, light travels back to the side of the water droplet that it entered from. While exiting, it travels between two mediums once again, water and air getting refracted for the creation of the rainbow.  

Can we see the complete rainbow? 
Rainbows form a complete circle but only half is visible from the ground, making us see an arch shape. The rainbow forms a complete circle because of the way, direction, and speed at which water droplets fall to the ground. Rainbow is visible to human eyes only if the observer is positioned in a way so that the sun is behind him and the rain source is in front of them.