Why Is the Rainbow Curved ? ā§°āĻžāĻŽāϧā§āύ⧠āĻāĻŋāϝāĻŧ āĻŦā§āĻāĻāĻž āĻĻā§āĻāĻž āϝāĻžāϝāĻŧ ? : Physics (Light / Optics) : āĻĒāĻĻāĻžā§°ā§āĻĨāĻŦāĻŋāĻā§āĻāĻžāύ (āĻĒā§āĻšā§° / āĻ āĻĒā§āĻāĻŋāĻā§āϏ)
A rainbow is a natural spectrum of seven colors seen in the sky after rain. It forms when sunlight passes through raindrops. The light bends (refraction), reflects inside the drop, and splits into different colors (dispersion). These colors appear as a curved arc in the sky.
ā§°āĻžāĻŽāϧā§āύ⧠āĻšā§āĻā§ āĻŦā§°āώā§āĻŖā§° āĻĒāĻŋāĻāϤ āĻāĻāĻžāĻļāϤ āĻĻā§āĻāĻž āĻĒā§ā§ąāĻž āϏāĻžāϤāĻāĻž ā§°āĻā§° āĻĒā§ā§°āĻžāĻā§āϤāĻŋāĻ āĻŦā§°ā§āĻŖāĻžāϞā§āĨ¤ āϏā§ā§°ā§āϝ⧰ āĻĒā§āĻšā§° āĻĒāĻžāύā§ā§° āĻŦāĻŋāύā§āĻĻā§āϤ āĻĒā§ā§°ā§ąā§āĻļ āĻā§°āĻŋ āĻŦā§āĻāĻāĻžāĻ āϝāĻžāϝāĻŧ, āĻĒā§ā§°āϤāĻŋāĻĢāϞāĻŋāϤ āĻšāϝāĻŧ āĻā§°ā§ āĻŦāĻŋāĻāĻŋāύā§āύ ā§°āĻāϤ āĻŦāĻŋāĻāĻā§āϤ āĻšāϝāĻŧ, āϝāĻžā§° āĻĢāϞāϤ āĻāĻāĻžāĻļāϤ āĻŦā§āĻāĻāĻž āϧāύā§āĻā§° āĻĻā§°ā§ āĻĻā§āĻāĻž āϝāĻžāϝāĻŧāĨ¤
• A rainbow forms when sunlight enters raindrops. : āϝā§āϤāĻŋāϝāĻŧāĻž āϏā§ā§°ā§āϝ⧰ āĻĒā§āĻšā§° āĻŦā§°āώā§āĻŖā§° āĻĒāĻžāύā§ā§° āĻŦāĻŋāύā§āĻĻā§āϤ āĻĒā§ā§°ā§ąā§āĻļ āĻā§°ā§, āϤā§āϤāĻŋāϝāĻŧāĻž ā§°āĻžāĻŽāϧā§āύ⧠āϏā§āώā§āĻāĻŋ āĻšāϝāĻŧāĨ¤
• The light bends inside the raindrop (refraction). : āĻĒā§āĻšā§° āĻĒāĻžāύā§ā§° āĻŦāĻŋāύā§āĻĻā§ā§° āĻāĻŋāϤ⧰āϤ āĻŦā§āĻāĻāĻžāĻ āϝāĻžāϝāĻŧ (refraction)āĨ¤
• The light then reflects inside the drop. : āϤāĻžā§° āĻĒāĻŋāĻāϤ āĻĒā§āĻšā§° āĻŦāĻŋāύā§āĻĻā§ā§° āĻāĻŋāϤ⧰āϤ āĻĒā§ā§°āϤāĻŋāĻĢāϞāĻŋāϤ āĻšāϝāĻŧ (reflection)āĨ¤
• The light splits into seven colours (dispersion). : āĻĒā§āĻšā§° āϏāĻžāϤāĻāĻž ā§°āĻāϤ āĻŦāĻŋāĻāĻā§āϤ āĻšāϝāĻŧ (dispersion)āĨ¤
• Raindrops are round in shape. : āĻŦā§°āώā§āĻŖā§° āĻĒāĻžāύā§ā§° āĻŦāĻŋāύā§āĻĻā§āĻŦā§ā§° āĻā§āϞāĻžāĻāĻžā§° āĻšāϝāĻŧāĨ¤
• Because light leaves many round drops at different angles, we see a curved arc. : āĻā§āϞāĻžāĻāĻžā§° āĻŦāĻŋāύā§āĻĻā§ā§° āĻĒā§°āĻž āĻĒā§āĻšā§° āĻŦāĻŋāĻāĻŋāύā§āύ āĻā§āĻŖāϤ āĻāϞāĻžāĻ āĻāĻšā§, āϏā§āϝāĻŧā§ ā§°āĻžāĻŽāϧā§āύ⧠āĻŦā§āĻāĻāĻž āĻĻā§āĻāĻž āϝāĻžāϝāĻŧāĨ¤
Key Point: Rainbow appears curved because light leaves round raindrops in an arc.
āĻŽā§āϞ āĻāĻĨāĻž: ā§°āĻžāĻŽāϧā§āύ⧠āĻŦā§āĻāĻāĻž āĻĻā§āĻāĻž āϝāĻžāϝāĻŧ āĻāĻžā§°āĻŖ āĻĒā§āĻšā§° āĻā§āϞāĻžāĻāĻžā§° āĻĒāĻžāύā§ā§° āĻŦāĻŋāύā§āĻĻā§ā§° āĻĒā§°āĻž āϧāύā§āĻ āĻāĻāĻžā§°āϤ āĻāϞāĻžāĻ āĻāĻšā§āĨ¤
======================================================================================
MCQ
1. What is a rainbow ? / ā§°āĻžāĻŽāϧā§āύ⧠āĻāĻŋ ?
A) A cloud / āĻĄāĻžā§ąā§°
B) A natural spectrum of seven colours / āϏāĻžāϤāĻāĻž ā§°āĻā§° āĻĒā§ā§°āĻžāĻā§āϤāĻŋāĻ āĻŦā§°ā§āĻŖāĻžāϞā§
C) A star / āϤ⧰āĻž
D) A shadow / āĻāĻžāĻ
Ans / āĻāϤā§āϤ⧰: B) A natural spectrum of seven colours / āϏāĻžāϤāĻāĻž ā§°āĻā§° āĻĒā§ā§°āĻžāĻā§āϤāĻŋāĻ āĻŦā§°ā§āĻŖāĻžāϞā§
Explanation / āĻŦā§āϝāĻžāĻā§āϝāĻž: A rainbow is made of seven colours seen in the sky after rain. ā§°āĻžāĻŽāϧā§āύ⧠āĻšā§āĻā§ āĻŦā§°āώā§āĻŖā§° āĻĒāĻŋāĻāϤ āĻāĻāĻžāĻļāϤ āĻĻā§āĻāĻž āĻĒā§ā§ąāĻž āϏāĻžāϤāĻāĻž ā§°āĻā§° āĻŦā§°ā§āĻŖāĻžāϞā§āĨ¤
2. When is a rainbow usually seen ? / āϏāĻžāϧāĻžā§°āĻŖāϤ⧠⧰āĻžāĻŽāϧā§āύ⧠āĻā§āϤāĻŋāϝāĻŧāĻž āĻĻā§āĻāĻž āϝāĻžāϝāĻŧ ?
A) At night / ā§°āĻžāϤāĻŋ B) Before sunrise / āϏā§ā§°ā§āϝ āĻāĻĻāϝāĻŧā§° āĻāĻāϤā§
C) After rain / āĻŦā§°āώā§āĻŖā§° āĻĒāĻŋāĻāϤ D) In winter / āĻļā§āϤāĻāĻžāϞāϤ
Ans / āĻāϤā§āϤ⧰: C) After rain / āĻŦā§°āώā§āĻŖā§° āĻĒāĻŋāĻāϤ
Explanation / āĻŦā§āϝāĻžāĻā§āϝāĻž: Rainbows are commonly seen after rainfall when sunlight falls on raindrops. āĻŦā§°āώā§āĻŖā§° āĻĒāĻŋāĻāϤ āϏā§ā§°ā§āϝ⧰ āĻĒā§āĻšā§° āĻĒāĻžāύā§ā§° āĻŦāĻŋāύā§āĻĻā§āϤ āĻĒā§°āĻŋāϞ⧠⧰āĻžāĻŽāϧā§āύ⧠āĻĻā§āĻāĻž āϝāĻžāϝāĻŧāĨ¤
3. What enters raindrops to form a rainbow ? / ā§°āĻžāĻŽāϧā§āύ⧠āϏā§āώā§āĻāĻŋ āĻā§°āĻŋāĻŦāϞ⧠āĻĒāĻžāύā§ā§° āĻŦāĻŋāύā§āĻĻā§āϤ āĻāĻŋ āĻĒā§ā§°ā§ąā§āĻļ āĻā§°ā§ ?
A) Moonlight / āĻāύā§āĻĻā§ā§°ā§° āĻĒā§āĻšā§° B) Sunlight / āϏā§ā§°ā§āϝ⧰ āĻĒā§āĻšā§°
C) Firelight / āĻā§āĻā§° āĻĒā§āĻšā§° D) Lamp light / āĻŦāĻžāϤāĻŋā§° āĻĒā§āĻšā§°
Ans / āĻāϤā§āϤ⧰: B) Sunlight / āϏā§ā§°ā§āϝ⧰ āĻĒā§āĻšā§°
Explanation / āĻŦā§āϝāĻžāĻā§āϝāĻž: Sunlight entering raindrops forms a rainbow. āϏā§ā§°ā§āϝ⧰ āĻĒā§āĻšā§° āĻĒāĻžāύā§ā§° āĻŦāĻŋāύā§āĻĻā§āϤ āĻĒā§ā§°ā§ąā§āĻļ āĻā§°āĻžāϤ ā§°āĻžāĻŽāϧā§āύ⧠āϏā§āώā§āĻāĻŋ āĻšāϝāĻŧāĨ¤
4. The bending of light is called — / āĻĒā§āĻšā§° āĻŦā§āĻāĻāĻžāĻ āϝā§ā§ąāĻžāĻ āĻāĻŋ āĻā§ā§ąāĻž āĻšāϝāĻŧ?
A) Reflection / āĻĒā§ā§°āϤāĻŋāĻĢāϞāύ B) Rotation / āĻā§ā§°āĻŖāĻŋ C) Refraction / āĻĒā§ā§°āϤāĻŋāϏ⧰āĻŖ D) Absorption / āĻļā§āώāĻŖ
Ans / āĻāϤā§āϤ⧰: C) Refraction / āĻĒā§ā§°āϤāĻŋāϏ⧰āĻŖ
Explanation / āĻŦā§āϝāĻžāĻā§āϝāĻž: Refraction means bending of light through water droplets. āĻĒāĻžāύā§ā§° āĻŦāĻŋāύā§āĻĻā§ā§° āĻŽāĻžāĻā§ā§°ā§ āϝā§ā§ąāĻžā§° āϏāĻŽāϝāĻŧāϤ āĻĒā§āĻšā§° āĻŦā§āĻāĻāĻžāĻ āϝā§ā§ąāĻžāĻ āĻĒā§ā§°āϤāĻŋāϏ⧰āĻŖ āĻā§ā§ąāĻž āĻšāϝāĻŧāĨ¤
5. Splitting of white light into colours is called — / āϏāĻžāĻĻāĻž āĻĒā§āĻšā§° āĻŦāĻŋāĻāĻŋāύā§āύ ā§°āĻāϤ āĻŦāĻŋāĻāĻā§āϤ āĻšā§ā§ąāĻžāĻ āĻāĻŋ āĻā§ā§ąāĻž āĻšāϝāĻŧ?
A) Reflection / āĻĒā§ā§°āϤāĻŋāĻĢāϞāύ B) Dispersion / āĻŦāĻŋāĻā§āĻā§ā§°āĻŖ C) Rotation / āĻā§ā§°āĻŖāĻŋ D) Refraction / āĻĒā§ā§°āϤāĻŋāϏ⧰āĻŖ
Ans / āĻāϤā§āϤ⧰: B) Dispersion / āĻŦāĻŋāĻā§āĻā§ā§°āĻŖ
Explanation / āĻŦā§āϝāĻžāĻā§āϝāĻž: Dispersion splits white light into seven colours. āĻŦāĻŋāĻā§āĻā§ā§°āĻŖā§ āϏāĻžāĻĻāĻž āĻĒā§āĻšā§° āϏāĻžāϤāĻāĻž ā§°āĻāϤ āĻŦāĻŋāĻāĻā§āϤ āĻā§°ā§āĨ¤
6. What happens inside the raindrop after refraction ? / āĻĒā§ā§°āϤāĻŋāϏ⧰āĻŖā§° āĻĒāĻŋāĻāϤ āĻĒāĻžāύā§ā§° āĻŦāĻŋāύā§āĻĻā§ā§° āĻāĻŋāϤ⧰āϤ āĻāĻŋ āĻšāϝāĻŧ ?
A) Light reflects / āĻĒā§āĻšā§° āĻĒā§ā§°āϤāĻŋāĻĢāϞāĻŋāϤ āĻšāϝāĻŧ B) Light disappears / āĻĒā§āĻšā§° āύā§āĻšā§ā§ąāĻž āĻšāϝāĻŧ
C) Light stops / āĻĒā§āĻšā§° āĻĨāĻŽāĻāĻŋ āϝāĻžāϝāĻŧ D) Light becomes heat / āĻĒā§āĻšā§° āĻā§°āĻŽ āĻšāϝāĻŧ
Ans / āĻāϤā§āϤ⧰: A) Light reflects / āĻĒā§āĻšā§° āĻĒā§ā§°āϤāĻŋāĻĢāϞāĻŋāϤ āĻšāϝāĻŧ
Explanation / āĻŦā§āϝāĻžāĻā§āϝāĻž: After bending, light reflects inside the raindrop. āĻŦā§āĻāĻāĻžāĻ āϝā§ā§ąāĻžā§° āĻĒāĻŋāĻāϤ āĻĒā§āĻšā§° āĻŦāĻŋāύā§āĻĻā§ā§° āĻāĻŋāϤ⧰āϤ āĻĒā§ā§°āϤāĻŋāĻĢāϞāĻŋāϤ āĻšāϝāĻŧāĨ¤
7. How many colours are seen in a rainbow ? / ā§°āĻžāĻŽāϧā§āύā§āϤ āĻāĻŋāĻŽāĻžāύāĻāĻž ā§°āĻ āĻĻā§āĻāĻž āϝāĻžāϝāĻŧ ?
A) Five / āĻĒāĻžāĻāĻāĻāĻž B) Six / āĻāϝāĻŧāĻāĻž C) Seven / āϏāĻžāϤāĻāĻž D) Eight / āĻāĻ āĻāĻž
Ans / āĻāϤā§āϤ⧰: C) Seven / āϏāĻžāϤāĻāĻž
Explanation / āĻŦā§āϝāĻžāĻā§āϝāĻž: A rainbow contains seven different colours. ā§°āĻžāĻŽāϧā§āύā§āϤ āϏāĻžāϤāĻāĻž āĻāĻŋāύā§āύ ā§°āĻ āĻĨāĻžāĻā§āĨ¤
8. Why does a rainbow appear curved ? / ā§°āĻžāĻŽāϧā§āύ⧠āĻŦā§āĻāĻāĻž āĻĻā§āĻāĻž āϝāĻžāϝāĻŧ āĻāĻŋāϝāĻŧ ?
A) Due to clouds / āĻĄāĻžā§ąā§°ā§° āĻŦāĻžāĻŦā§ B) Due to wind / āĻŦāϤāĻžāĻšā§° āĻŦāĻžāĻŦā§
C) Light leaves round raindrops at different angles / āĻĒā§āĻšā§° āĻŦāĻŋāĻāĻŋāύā§āύ āĻā§āĻŖāϤ āĻāϞāĻžāĻ āĻāĻšā§ D) Due to darkness / āĻāύā§āϧāĻžā§°ā§° āĻŦāĻžāĻŦā§
Ans / āĻāϤā§āϤ⧰: C) Light leaves round raindrops at different angles / āĻĒā§āĻšā§° āĻŦāĻŋāĻāĻŋāύā§āύ āĻā§āĻŖāϤ āĻāϞāĻžāĻ āĻāĻšā§
Explanation / āĻŦā§āϝāĻžāĻā§āϝāĻž: Light coming from many round drops forms a curved arc. āĻā§āϞāĻžāĻāĻžā§° āĻĒāĻžāύā§ā§° āĻŦāĻŋāύā§āĻĻā§ā§° āĻĒā§°āĻž āĻĒā§āĻšā§° āĻŦāĻŋāĻāĻŋāύā§āύ āĻā§āĻŖāϤ āĻāϞāĻžāĻ āĻāĻšā§, āϏā§āϝāĻŧā§ ā§°āĻžāĻŽāϧā§āύ⧠āĻŦā§āĻāĻāĻž āĻĻā§āĻāĻž āϝāĻžāϝāĻŧāĨ¤