What Causes a ‘Rainbow’ and Why Do We See It Differently?

Rainbows happen when raindrops act like tiny prisms. When sunlight hits a raindrop, it bends inside the drop and splits into different colors, like how a prism makes a rainbow in your classroom. But not everyone sees the same rainbow because each person is looking at a slightly different set of raindrops.

Take the quiz →

Examples

Rainbow formation happens when sunlight passes through raindrops, splitting into colors like a prism.
Everyone sees a slightly different rainbow because each person looks at unique raindrops.
A rainbow is a personal experience, what you see depends on where you are standing.

Ask a question

Discussion

Recent activity

Categories: Physics · optics,light,rainbows,refraction,perception