Why Is the Rainbow Curved ? ā§°āĻžāĻŽāϧ⧇āύ⧁ āĻ•āĻŋāϝāĻŧ āĻŦ⧇āρāĻ•āĻž āĻĻ⧇āĻ–āĻž āϝāĻžāϝāĻŧ ? : Physics (Light / Optics) : āĻĒāĻĻāĻžā§°ā§āĻĨāĻŦāĻŋāĻœā§āĻžāĻžāύ (āĻĒā§‹āĻšā§° / āĻ…āĻĒā§āϟāĻŋāĻ•ā§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§°āĻžāĻŽāϧ⧇āύ⧁ āĻšā§ˆāϛ⧇ āĻŦā§°āώ⧁āĻŖā§° āĻĒāĻŋāĻ›āϤ āφāĻ•āĻžāĻļāϤ āĻĻ⧇āĻ–āĻž āĻĒā§‹ā§ąāĻž āϏāĻžāϤāϟāĻž ā§°āϙ⧰ āĻĒā§ā§°āĻžāĻ•ā§ƒāϤāĻŋāĻ• āĻŦā§°ā§āĻŖāĻžāϞ⧀āĨ¤ āĻ¸ā§‚ā§°ā§āϝ⧰ āĻĒā§‹āĻšā§° āĻĒāĻžāύ⧀⧰ āĻŦāĻŋāĻ¨ā§āĻĻ⧁āϤ āĻĒā§ā§°ā§ąā§‡āĻļ āϕ⧰āĻŋ āĻŦ⧇āρāĻ•āĻžāχ āϝāĻžāϝāĻŧ, āĻĒā§ā§°āϤāĻŋāĻĢāϞāĻŋāϤ āĻšāϝāĻŧ āφ⧰⧁ āĻŦāĻŋāĻ­āĻŋāĻ¨ā§āύ ā§°āĻ™āϤ āĻŦāĻŋāĻ­āĻ•ā§āϤ āĻšāϝāĻŧ, āϝāĻžā§° āĻĢāϞāϤ āφāĻ•āĻžāĻļāϤ āĻŦ⧇āρāĻ•āĻž āϧāύ⧁āϕ⧰ āĻĻ⧰⧇ āĻĻ⧇āĻ–āĻž āϝāĻžāϝāĻŧāĨ¤


• A rainbow forms when sunlight enters raindrops. : āϝ⧇āϤāĻŋāϝāĻŧāĻž āĻ¸ā§‚ā§°ā§āϝ⧰ āĻĒā§‹āĻšā§° āĻŦā§°āώ⧁āĻŖā§° āĻĒāĻžāύ⧀⧰ āĻŦāĻŋāĻ¨ā§āĻĻ⧁āϤ āĻĒā§ā§°ā§ąā§‡āĻļ āϕ⧰⧇, āϤ⧇āϤāĻŋāϝāĻŧāĻž ā§°āĻžāĻŽāϧ⧇āύ⧁ āϏ⧃āĻˇā§āϟāĻŋ āĻšāϝāĻŧāĨ¤



• The light bends inside the raindrop (refraction). : āĻĒā§‹āĻšā§° āĻĒāĻžāύ⧀⧰ āĻŦāĻŋāĻ¨ā§āĻĻ⧁⧰ āĻ­āĻŋāϤ⧰āϤ āĻŦ⧇āρāĻ•āĻžāχ āϝāĻžāϝāĻŧ (refraction)āĨ¤


• The light then reflects inside the drop. : āϤāĻžā§° āĻĒāĻŋāĻ›āϤ āĻĒā§‹āĻšā§° āĻŦāĻŋāĻ¨ā§āĻĻ⧁⧰ āĻ­āĻŋāϤ⧰āϤ āĻĒā§ā§°āϤāĻŋāĻĢāϞāĻŋāϤ āĻšāϝāĻŧ (reflection)āĨ¤


• The light splits into seven colours (dispersion). : āĻĒā§‹āĻšā§° āϏāĻžāϤāϟāĻž ā§°āĻ™āϤ āĻŦāĻŋāĻ­āĻ•ā§āϤ āĻšāϝāĻŧ (dispersion)āĨ¤


Raindrops are round in shape. : āĻŦā§°āώ⧁āĻŖā§° āĻĒāĻžāύ⧀⧰ āĻŦāĻŋāĻ¨ā§āĻĻ⧁āĻŦā§‹ā§° āĻ—ā§‹āϞāĻžāĻ•āĻžā§° āĻšāϝāĻŧāĨ¤


• Because light leaves many round drops at different angles, we see a curved arc. : āĻ—ā§‹āϞāĻžāĻ•āĻžā§° āĻŦāĻŋāĻ¨ā§āĻĻ⧁⧰ āĻĒā§°āĻž āĻĒā§‹āĻšā§° āĻŦāĻŋāĻ­āĻŋāĻ¨ā§āύ āϕ⧋āĻŖāϤ āĻ“āϞāĻžāχ āφāĻšā§‡, āϏ⧇āϝāĻŧ⧇ ā§°āĻžāĻŽāϧ⧇āύ⧁ āĻŦ⧇āρāĻ•āĻž āĻĻ⧇āĻ–āĻž āϝāĻžāϝāĻŧāĨ¤


Key Point: Rainbow appears curved because light leaves round raindrops in an arc.


āĻŽā§‚āϞ āĻ•āĻĨāĻž: ā§°āĻžāĻŽāϧ⧇āύ⧁ āĻŦ⧇āρāĻ•āĻž āĻĻ⧇āĻ–āĻž āϝāĻžāϝāĻŧ āĻ•āĻžā§°āĻŖ āĻĒā§‹āĻšā§° āĻ—ā§‹āϞāĻžāĻ•āĻžā§° āĻĒāĻžāύ⧀⧰ āĻŦāĻŋāĻ¨ā§āĻĻ⧁⧰ āĻĒā§°āĻž āϧāύ⧁āĻ• āφāĻ•āĻžā§°āϤ āĻ“āϞāĻžāχ āφāĻšā§‡āĨ¤


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MCQ


1. What is a rainbow ? / ā§°āĻžāĻŽāϧ⧇āύ⧁ āĻ•āĻŋ ?
A) A cloud / āĻĄāĻžā§ąā§°
B) A natural spectrum of seven colours / āϏāĻžāϤāϟāĻž ā§°āϙ⧰ āĻĒā§ā§°āĻžāĻ•ā§ƒāϤāĻŋāĻ• āĻŦā§°ā§āĻŖāĻžāϞ⧀
C) A star / āϤ⧰āĻž
D) A shadow / āĻ›āĻžāρ


Ans / āωāĻ¤ā§āϤ⧰: B) A natural spectrum of seven colours / āϏāĻžāϤāϟāĻž ā§°āϙ⧰ āĻĒā§ā§°āĻžāĻ•ā§ƒāϤāĻŋāĻ• āĻŦā§°ā§āĻŖāĻžāϞ⧀


Explanation / āĻŦā§āϝāĻžāĻ–ā§āϝāĻž: A rainbow is made of seven colours seen in the sky after rain. ā§°āĻžāĻŽāϧ⧇āύ⧁ āĻšā§ˆāϛ⧇ āĻŦā§°āώ⧁āĻŖā§° āĻĒāĻŋāĻ›āϤ āφāĻ•āĻžāĻļāϤ āĻĻ⧇āĻ–āĻž āĻĒā§‹ā§ąāĻž āϏāĻžāϤāϟāĻž ā§°āϙ⧰ āĻŦā§°ā§āĻŖāĻžāϞ⧀āĨ¤


2. When is a rainbow usually seen ? / āϏāĻžāϧāĻžā§°āĻŖāϤ⧇ ā§°āĻžāĻŽāϧ⧇āύ⧁ āϕ⧇āϤāĻŋāϝāĻŧāĻž āĻĻ⧇āĻ–āĻž āϝāĻžāϝāĻŧ ?
A) At night / ā§°āĻžāϤāĻŋ   B) Before sunrise / āĻ¸ā§‚ā§°ā§āϝ āωāĻĻāϝāĻŧā§° āφāĻ—āϤ⧇
C) After rain / āĻŦā§°āώ⧁āĻŖā§° āĻĒāĻŋāĻ›āϤ  D) In winter / āĻļā§€āϤāĻ•āĻžāϞāϤ


Ans / āωāĻ¤ā§āϤ⧰: C) After rain / āĻŦā§°āώ⧁āĻŖā§° āĻĒāĻŋāĻ›āϤ


Explanation / āĻŦā§āϝāĻžāĻ–ā§āϝāĻž: Rainbows are commonly seen after rainfall when sunlight falls on raindrops. āĻŦā§°āώ⧁āĻŖā§° āĻĒāĻŋāĻ›āϤ āĻ¸ā§‚ā§°ā§āϝ⧰ āĻĒā§‹āĻšā§° āĻĒāĻžāύ⧀⧰ āĻŦāĻŋāĻ¨ā§āĻĻ⧁āϤ āĻĒā§°āĻŋāϞ⧇ ā§°āĻžāĻŽāϧ⧇āύ⧁ āĻĻ⧇āĻ–āĻž āϝāĻžāϝāĻŧāĨ¤


3. What enters raindrops to form a rainbow ? / ā§°āĻžāĻŽāϧ⧇āύ⧁ āϏ⧃āĻˇā§āϟāĻŋ āϕ⧰āĻŋāĻŦāϞ⧈ āĻĒāĻžāύ⧀⧰ āĻŦāĻŋāĻ¨ā§āĻĻ⧁āϤ āĻ•āĻŋ āĻĒā§ā§°ā§ąā§‡āĻļ āϕ⧰⧇ ?
A) Moonlight / āϚāĻ¨ā§āĻĻā§ā§°ā§° āĻĒā§‹āĻšā§°   B) Sunlight / āĻ¸ā§‚ā§°ā§āϝ⧰ āĻĒā§‹āĻšā§°
C) Firelight / āϜ⧁āχ⧰ āĻĒā§‹āĻšā§°   D) Lamp light / āĻŦāĻžāϤāĻŋā§° āĻĒā§‹āĻšā§°


Ans / āωāĻ¤ā§āϤ⧰: B) Sunlight / āĻ¸ā§‚ā§°ā§āϝ⧰ āĻĒā§‹āĻšā§°


Explanation / āĻŦā§āϝāĻžāĻ–ā§āϝāĻž: Sunlight entering raindrops forms a rainbow. āĻ¸ā§‚ā§°ā§āϝ⧰ āĻĒā§‹āĻšā§° āĻĒāĻžāύ⧀⧰ āĻŦāĻŋāĻ¨ā§āĻĻ⧁āϤ āĻĒā§ā§°ā§ąā§‡āĻļ āϕ⧰āĻžāϤ ā§°āĻžāĻŽāϧ⧇āύ⧁ āϏ⧃āĻˇā§āϟāĻŋ āĻšāϝāĻŧāĨ¤


4. The bending of light is called — / āĻĒā§‹āĻšā§° āĻŦ⧇āρāĻ•āĻžāχ āĻ¯ā§‹ā§ąāĻžāĻ• āĻ•āĻŋ āĻ•ā§‹ā§ąāĻž āĻšāϝāĻŧ?
A) Reflection / āĻĒā§ā§°āϤāĻŋāĻĢāϞāύ  B) Rotation / āĻ˜ā§‚ā§°āĻŖāĻŋ  C) Refraction / āĻĒā§ā§°āϤāĻŋāϏ⧰āĻŖ   D) Absorption / āĻļā§‹āώāĻŖ


Ans / āωāĻ¤ā§āϤ⧰: C) Refraction / āĻĒā§ā§°āϤāĻŋāϏ⧰āĻŖ


Explanation / āĻŦā§āϝāĻžāĻ–ā§āϝāĻž: Refraction means bending of light through water droplets. āĻĒāĻžāύ⧀⧰ āĻŦāĻŋāĻ¨ā§āĻĻ⧁⧰ āĻŽāĻžāĻœā§‡ā§°ā§‡ āĻ¯ā§‹ā§ąāĻžā§° āϏāĻŽāϝāĻŧāϤ āĻĒā§‹āĻšā§° āĻŦ⧇āρāĻ•āĻžāχ āĻ¯ā§‹ā§ąāĻžāĻ• āĻĒā§ā§°āϤāĻŋāϏ⧰āĻŖ āĻ•ā§‹ā§ąāĻž āĻšāϝāĻŧāĨ¤


5. Splitting of white light into colours is called — / āϏāĻžāĻĻāĻž āĻĒā§‹āĻšā§° āĻŦāĻŋāĻ­āĻŋāĻ¨ā§āύ ā§°āĻ™āϤ āĻŦāĻŋāĻ­āĻ•ā§āϤ āĻšā§‹ā§ąāĻžāĻ• āĻ•āĻŋ āĻ•ā§‹ā§ąāĻž āĻšāϝāĻŧ?
A) Reflection / āĻĒā§ā§°āϤāĻŋāĻĢāϞāύ  B) Dispersion / āĻŦāĻŋāĻšā§āϛ⧁⧰āĻŖ  C) Rotation / āĻ˜ā§‚ā§°āĻŖāĻŋ  D) Refraction / āĻĒā§ā§°āϤāĻŋāϏ⧰āĻŖ


Ans / āωāĻ¤ā§āϤ⧰: B) Dispersion / āĻŦāĻŋāĻšā§āϛ⧁⧰āĻŖ


Explanation / āĻŦā§āϝāĻžāĻ–ā§āϝāĻž: Dispersion splits white light into seven colours. āĻŦāĻŋāĻšā§āϛ⧁⧰āϪ⧇ āϏāĻžāĻĻāĻž āĻĒā§‹āĻšā§° āϏāĻžāϤāϟāĻž ā§°āĻ™āϤ āĻŦāĻŋāĻ­āĻ•ā§āϤ āϕ⧰⧇āĨ¤


6. What happens inside the raindrop after refraction ? / āĻĒā§ā§°āϤāĻŋāϏ⧰āĻŖā§° āĻĒāĻŋāĻ›āϤ āĻĒāĻžāύ⧀⧰ āĻŦāĻŋāĻ¨ā§āĻĻ⧁⧰ āĻ­āĻŋāϤ⧰āϤ āĻ•āĻŋ āĻšāϝāĻŧ ?
A) Light reflects / āĻĒā§‹āĻšā§° āĻĒā§ā§°āϤāĻŋāĻĢāϞāĻŋāϤ āĻšāϝāĻŧ  B) Light disappears / āĻĒā§‹āĻšā§° āύ⧋āĻšā§‹ā§ąāĻž āĻšāϝāĻŧ
C) Light stops / āĻĒā§‹āĻšā§° āĻĨāĻŽāĻ•āĻŋ āϝāĻžāϝāĻŧ  D) Light becomes heat / āĻĒā§‹āĻšā§° āĻ—ā§°āĻŽ āĻšāϝāĻŧ


Ans / āωāĻ¤ā§āϤ⧰: A) Light reflects / āĻĒā§‹āĻšā§° āĻĒā§ā§°āϤāĻŋāĻĢāϞāĻŋāϤ āĻšāϝāĻŧ


Explanation / āĻŦā§āϝāĻžāĻ–ā§āϝāĻž: After bending, light reflects inside the raindrop. āĻŦ⧇āρāĻ•āĻžāχ āĻ¯ā§‹ā§ąāĻžā§° āĻĒāĻŋāĻ›āϤ āĻĒā§‹āĻšā§° āĻŦāĻŋāĻ¨ā§āĻĻ⧁⧰ āĻ­āĻŋāϤ⧰āϤ āĻĒā§ā§°āϤāĻŋāĻĢāϞāĻŋāϤ āĻšāϝāĻŧāĨ¤


7. How many colours are seen in a rainbow ? / ā§°āĻžāĻŽāϧ⧇āύ⧁āϤ āĻ•āĻŋāĻŽāĻžāύāϟāĻž ā§°āĻ‚ āĻĻ⧇āĻ–āĻž āϝāĻžāϝāĻŧ ?
A) Five / āĻĒāĻžāρāϚāϟāĻž  B) Six / āĻ›āϝāĻŧāϟāĻž  C) Seven / āϏāĻžāϤāϟāĻž  D) Eight / āφāĻ āϟāĻž


Ans / āωāĻ¤ā§āϤ⧰: C) Seven / āϏāĻžāϤāϟāĻž


Explanation / āĻŦā§āϝāĻžāĻ–ā§āϝāĻž: A rainbow contains seven different colours. ā§°āĻžāĻŽāϧ⧇āύ⧁āϤ āϏāĻžāϤāϟāĻž āĻ­āĻŋāĻ¨ā§āύ ā§°āĻ‚ āĻĨāĻžāϕ⧇āĨ¤


8. Why does a rainbow appear curved ? / ā§°āĻžāĻŽāϧ⧇āύ⧁ āĻŦ⧇āρāĻ•āĻž āĻĻ⧇āĻ–āĻž āϝāĻžāϝāĻŧ āĻ•āĻŋāϝāĻŧ ?
A) Due to clouds / āĻĄāĻžā§ąā§°ā§° āĻŦāĻžāĻŦ⧇  B) Due to wind / āĻŦāϤāĻžāĻšā§° āĻŦāĻžāĻŦ⧇
C) Light leaves round raindrops at different angles / āĻĒā§‹āĻšā§° āĻŦāĻŋāĻ­āĻŋāĻ¨ā§āύ āϕ⧋āĻŖāϤ āĻ“āϞāĻžāχ āφāĻšā§‡  D) Due to darkness / āφāĻ¨ā§āϧāĻžā§°ā§° āĻŦāĻžāĻŦ⧇


Ans / āωāĻ¤ā§āϤ⧰: C) Light leaves round raindrops at different angles / āĻĒā§‹āĻšā§° āĻŦāĻŋāĻ­āĻŋāĻ¨ā§āύ āϕ⧋āĻŖāϤ āĻ“āϞāĻžāχ āφāĻšā§‡


Explanation / āĻŦā§āϝāĻžāĻ–ā§āϝāĻž: Light coming from many round drops forms a curved arc. āĻ—ā§‹āϞāĻžāĻ•āĻžā§° āĻĒāĻžāύ⧀⧰ āĻŦāĻŋāĻ¨ā§āĻĻ⧁⧰ āĻĒā§°āĻž āĻĒā§‹āĻšā§° āĻŦāĻŋāĻ­āĻŋāĻ¨ā§āύ āϕ⧋āĻŖāϤ āĻ“āϞāĻžāχ āφāĻšā§‡, āϏ⧇āϝāĻŧ⧇ ā§°āĻžāĻŽāϧ⧇āύ⧁ āĻŦ⧇āρāĻ•āĻž āĻĻ⧇āĻ–āĻž āϝāĻžāϝāĻŧāĨ¤