Scientific research work in physics on the topic of rainbow - arc. A wonderful natural phenomenon - a rainbow-arc. A story describing what a rainbow is like.

1. Introduction.

Rainbow is one of the most beautiful natural phenomena. One day, while walking after the rain, I saw a rainbow in the sky. I was delighted with what I saw. And questions immediately began to arise: how is such beauty obtained, and is it possible to do all this at home in order to see this amazing miracle again?

A rainbow occurs due to the refraction (change in angle) of sunlight in water droplets in the air.

It looks like an arc made up of the colors of the spectrum - red, orange, yellow, green, blue, indigo and violet

Goal of the work:Try to reproduce and experimentally obtain a rainbow at home, find practical use rainbows in life.

Task: find out the reason for the appearance of a rainbow,

study the definition of the word “rainbow” in different dictionaries.

learn the colors and order of the rainbow

get a rainbow at home.

Learn the practical application of spectrum.

Object of study is a natural phenomenon of the rainbow.

Subject of study– the concept of “rainbow” as a natural phenomenon.

Hypotheses:

The appearance of a rainbow only on a sunny day after rain.

You can get a rainbow if you replace the sun's rays with an artificial light source.

2. The meaning of the word rainbow in dictionaries.

1) encyclopedic Dictionary

Rainbow- a multi-colored arc in the sky. Observed when the Sun illuminates a curtain of rain located on the opposite side of the sky from it. Explained by the refraction, reflection and diffraction of light in raindrops.

2) Ozhegov's Explanatory Dictionary

Rainbow- a multi-colored arc on the firmament, formed due to refraction sun rays in raindrops. Colors of the rainbow (colors of the solar spectrum).

3) Character dictionary

Rainbow - Meanstransformation, heavenly glory, different states of consciousness, the meeting of Heaven with Earth, a bridge or border between the world and paradise, the throne of the God of Heaven. The celestial serpent is associated with the rainbow, since it can also be a bridge between two worlds. In addition, in the traditional symbolism of the French, Africans, Indians and American Indians, the rainbow is a snake quenching its thirst in the sea.

4) Encyclopedia of Brockhaus and Efron

Rainbow - everyone knows optical phenomenon in the atmosphere; observed whenthe sun illuminates the veil of falling rain and the observer is between the sun and the rain. This phenomenon appears in the form of one, or less often, two concentric light arcs, drawn in the sky from the direction of falling rain and colored concentrically in a series of “rainbow” colorsov.

5) Bible Encyclopedia

Rainbow - (arc in a cloud) - majestica natural phenomenon occurring from the refraction of light rays in raindrops. It usually happens during rain, when the sun is shining, and on the opposite side of it there is a cloud from which it's raining. A rainbow is a brilliant arc-shaped stripe, painted with all the colors of the solar spectrum, with violet occupying the lower edge of the arc and red occupying the upperedge.

6) Dictionary Ushakova

Rainbow - R "ADUGA, rainbows, female. Multi-colored archeda ribbon in the sky during rain, formed due to the refraction of sunlight in water droplets. Seven colors of the rainbow. "The uneven glass of the windows shimmers with the colors of the rainbow." A. Turgenev. | Spectrum, seven-color stripeformed by the refraction of light rays in a prism.

3 . The history of rainbow research by scientists.

The Persian astronomer Qutb al-Din al-Shirazi (1236-1311), and perhaps his student Kamal al-Din al-Farizi (1260-1320), was apparently the first to give a fairly accurate explanation of the phenomenon.

The general physical picture of the rainbow was described in 1611 by Mark Antony de Dominis in the book "De radiis visus et lucis in vitris perspectivis et iride". Based on experimental observations, he came to the conclusion that a rainbow is produced as a result of reflection from the inner surface of a raindrop and double refraction - at the entrance to the drop and at the exit from it.

René Descartes gave a more complete explanation of the rainbow in 1635 in his work Meteora in the chapter "On the Rainbow."
Although the multicolor spectrum of the rainbow is continuous, according to tradition, it is divided into 7 colors. It is believed that Isaac Newton was the first to choose the number 7, for whom the number 7 had a special symbolic meaning. Moreover, initially he distinguished only five colors - red, yellow, green, blue and violet, which he wrote about in his “Optics”. But later, trying to create a correspondence between the number of colors of the spectrum and the number of fundamental tones of the musical scale, Newton added two more to the five listed colors of the spectrum.

In 1637, the famous French philosopher and scientist Descartes gave mathematical theory rainbow based on the refraction of light. Subsequently, this theory was supplemented by Newton based on his experiments on the decomposition of light into colors using a prism. Descartes' theory, supplemented by Newton, could not explain the simultaneous existence of several rainbows, their different widths, the obligatory absence of certain colors in color stripes, the influence of the size of cloud drops on appearance phenomena. The exact theory Rainbows based on ideas about the diffraction of light were given in 1836 by the English astronomer George Airy. Considering the veil of rain as a spatial structure that ensures the occurrence of diffraction, Airy explained all the features of the rainbow. His theory has fully retained its significance for our time.

4. Mnemonic phrases

The colors in the rainbow are arranged in a sequence corresponding to the spectrum of visible light. Exist mnemonic phrases to remember this sequence. In these phrases, the initial letter of each word corresponds to the initial letter of the name of a certain color. The colors in the phrase are listed according to the order of the colors in the rainbow, from red ( visible light longest wavelength) to violet (shortest wavelength visible light).

1. TO every O hunter and wants h nah, G de With goes f azan

2. TO ak O once AND ak- h lantern G tin With broke f onar.

3. TO mouth O anyway, and Irafu, h Ike G got along With tare f Ufaiki.

4. TO every O shaper and wants h nah, G de With sway f Photoshop.

5. Making a rainbow at home.

You can get a rainbow at home using such experiments.

1. A rainbow created by dipping a mirror into water.

Materials used: A container with water, a mirror, a light source (lamp, sunlight), a sheet of white cardboard.

I place a mirror in a container of water at an angle of about 25 degrees to the surface of the water. Place a sheet of white cardboard nearby. We direct the light source to the mirror, as a result of the refraction of the ray in water and its reflection from the mirror on a sheet of cardboard, a rainbow appears.

2. Rainbow with a CD.

Materials used: CD, light source (lamp, sunlight).

We direct the light source at an angle of about 25 degrees to the surface of the CD. A rainbow will appear on the surface of the CD as a result of refraction.

3. Rainbow in soap bubbles .

. Practical application of the spectrum.

Spectral analysis.

The phenomenon of dispersion is used in science and technology in the form of a method for determining the composition of a substance, called spectral analysis. This method is based on the study of light emitted or absorbed by a substance.

Spectral analysis is a method of studying chemical composition substance, based on the study of its spectra.

Spectral apparatus is used to obtain and study spectra. The simplest spectral devices are a prism and a diffraction grating. More accurate ones are a spectroscope and a spectrograph.

Using spectral analysis, it is possible to detect this element in the composition of a complex substance, even if its mass is extremely small.

The main areas of application of spectral analysis are: physical and chemical research; mechanical engineering, metallurgy; nuclear industry; astronomy, astrophysics; forensics. Modern technologies creating new building materials(metal-plastic, plastic) are directly related to such basic sciences like chemistry, physics. Data science uses modern methods substance research. That's why spectral analysis can be used to determine the chemical composition of building materials from their spectra.

7. Conclusion.

A rainbow is one of the most amazing and beautiful natural phenomena. Based on the above and based on the experiments I have done, we can say that a rainbow can be reproduced at home and enjoy its beauty at any time. I also learned how the rainbow is used, or rather the decomposition of light into spectra, and how important it has become in human life.

I believe that the goal of my work has been achieved, the tasks set at the beginning of the project have been completed, and the hypotheses have been confirmed experimentally.

We have all seen a multi-colored arc appear in the sky. But what is a rainbow? How is this miraculous phenomenon formed? The mystery of the nature of the rainbow has always fascinated humanity, and people tried to find an explanation for what was happening with the help of legends and myths. Today we will talk exactly about this. What is a rainbow and how is it formed?

Myths

Everyone knows that ancient people were inclined to deify and mystify the majority natural phenomena, be it thunder and lightning or an earthquake. They didn't ignore the rainbow either. What do we know from our ancestors? What is a rainbow and how is it made?

• The ancient Vikings believed that the rainbow was the Bifrost Bridge, connecting the land of the people of Mitgard and the gods (Asgard).
• Indians believed that the rainbow was a bow belonging to the thunder god Indra.
• The Greeks did not go far from their contemporaries and also considered the rainbow to be the dear messenger of the gods Iris.
• The Armenians decided that this was not a natural phenomenon, but the belt of the Sun God (but without making a decision, they changed the “specialty” of God and “forced” him to be responsible for art and science).
• The Australians went further and animated the rainbow, making it the patron serpent of water.
• According to African myths, where the rainbow touches the ground, treasure can be found.
• It's interesting what Africans and Irish have in common, because their Leprechaun also hides a pot of gold at the end of the rainbow.

We could list for a long time the myths and legends of peoples from all over the world, and we would find something interesting for everyone. But what is a rainbow really?

Story

The first conscious and close to reality conclusions on what we are considering atmospheric phenomenon given by Aristotle. It was just a guess, but he became the first person to take the rainbow from myth to real world. Aristotle hypothesized that a rainbow is not an object or substance, and not even a real object, but simply a visual effect, an image, akin to a mirage in the desert.

However, the first Scientific research and the justification was carried out by the Arab astronomer Qutb ad-Din al-Shirazi. At the same time, similar studies were carried out by German researchers.

In 1611, the first physical theory of the rainbow was created. Mark Antony de Dominis, based on observations and experiments, came to the conclusion that rainbows are formed due to the refraction of light in drops of water contained in the atmosphere in rainy weather. To be more precise, he described full picture the appearance of a rainbow due to the double refraction of light at the entrance and exit of a drop of water.

Physics

So what is a rainbow, the definition of which was given by Aristotle? How is it formed? Probably everyone has heard about the existence of infrared and ultraviolet radiation? This is the “light” that comes from any material objects in different measurement ranges.

So, sunlight consists of rays with different wavelengths and includes all types of radiation from “warm” red to “cold” violet. When passing through drops of water, light is split into rays with different lengths waves (and in different colors), and this happens twice; when it hits the water, the beam splits and deviates slightly from its trajectory, and when it comes out, it deviates even more, as a result of which the rainbow can be seen with the naked eye.

For children

Of course, anyone who graduated from school with at least a C grade will tell you about the rainbow. But what if a child comes up to a parent and asks: “Mom, what is a rainbow? Where does it come from?” The easiest way to explain it is this: “These are the sun’s rays, passing through the rain, shimmering.” IN younger age children do not need to know the physical background of the phenomenon.

The well-known colors of the rainbow have a strict order and always the same sequence. As we have already found out, this is the result of physical processes. However, for some reason, many adults (parents, kindergarten teachers) require children to know the correct order of colors in the rainbow. For faster memorization, expressions were invented in which the first letters of words symbolize a certain color. Here are the most famous forms:

As you can see, you can track the correct order of colors by the first letter (red-orange-yellow-green-cyan-blue-violet). By the way, Isaac Newton did not highlight blue and blue colors, and blue and indigo respectively. Why the color names were changed remains a mystery. In general, is it really so important to know what a rainbow is in order to admire it?

Rainbow - this magnificent colorful phenomenon has long captured the imagination of people. Looking at a rainbow, you want to believe in miracles and magic. Which natural phenomenon can compare in beauty with a rainbow? The appearance of a rainbow in the sky means that it will soon come good weather and the bad weather came to an end. There are many legends about the rainbow, which you will learn about from this article. We will also try to understand in more detail the reasons for the appearance of this wonderful natural phenomenon and learn about interesting facts about rainbows. Read the article, ask questions and share your impressions in the comments.

In the ancient Indian epic “Romayana” we find the expression “the seven-colored bow of the Thunderer.” Thunderer is the supreme god, the king of kings Indra. The ancient Greeks saw the rainbow as a mediator between heaven and earth, that is, between gods and people. They identified the rainbow with the beautiful Iris and depicted her dressed in silk, which intersected with all seven colors. Iris's indispensable attribute was golden wings. They symbolized her fickle nature: after all, a rainbow always appears and disappears unexpectedly.

The Arabs believed that the rainbow was the bow of the god of light Kuzakh. After a grueling struggle with the forces of darkness that sought to prevent the sun from appearing in the sky, Kuzakh invariably emerged victorious and hung a rainbow bow on the clouds. Since ancient times, the Slavs considered a rainbow after heavy rain to be a harbinger of the victory won by the god Perun over the spirit of evil.

Thunder and lightning alone are not enough to create a rainbow. If the sky is overcast and there is no shadow on the ground, you cannot see the rainbow. And only when the sun breaks through the layers of clouds are the conditions created for its appearance. Beautiful! Changeable and elusive!

Explaining the appearance of a rainbow in the sky from a theoretical point of view is not particularly difficult. This is elementary optics. How do rain and sun draw a rainbow!?

As you know, light consists of a combination of several colors: red, orange, yellow, green, blue, cyan and violet. White light passing through the prism is reflected on the other side with all the colors of the rainbow. But in order to understand what a rainbow is, you need to understand what happens inside the prism and how white light emits so many colors.

A prism is a trihedron, usually made of clear glass or plastic. The prism “draws” a mini-rainbow by decomposing complex light into a spectrum when a narrow strip of white light hits one of the faces of the triangle. The scattering of light in a prism occurs due to the so-called “refractive index” of the glass. Each material has its own distinctive refractive index. When light passes through a material (such as light traveling through air and striking a glass prism), the difference in refractive indices between the air and the glass causes the light to bend. The bending angle is different from the wavelength of the light. And as white light passes through the two planes of the prism, different colors bend (refract) and something like a rainbow appears. The rainbow itself is created by raindrops acting as tiny prisms. Light enters a raindrop, reflects off the other side of the raindrop, and exits. During this process, light is decomposed into a spectrum, just as it happens in a transparent triangular prism. The angle between the incoming light beam and the outgoing light beam is 42 degrees for red and 40 degrees for violet. Due to the difference in bending angles, a rounded rim appears on the sky, i.e. rainbow. Sometimes two rainbows may appear at once. A second rainbow can form because some raindrops can be reflected twice at once. In order for two reflections to occur simultaneously, droplets of a certain size are needed. The basic process of creating a rainbow is the refraction (refraction) or “bending” of light. Light bends, or rather changes its direction, when it moves from one environment to another. Rainbows occur because light travels at different speeds in different environments.

So, the bend of a ray of light falls into a transparent prism. One side of the light wave is slightly slower than the other, so the beam passes through the air-glass interface at a different angle (essentially the beam of light is reflected from the surface of the prism). The light turns again when it leaves the prism because one side of the light is moving faster than the other. In addition to the process of bending light itself, the prism separates white light into its component colors. Each color of white light has its own characteristic frequency, causing the colors to travel at different speeds as they pass through the prism.

The color that is slowly refracted in the glass bends more when it gets from the air into the prism, because in different environments color moves at different speeds. The color moving faster in the glass does not weaken significantly, so it does not bend as much. Due to this, all the colors of the rainbow that make up white light are separated by frequency when passing through the glass. If glass refracts light twice, as a prism does, a person can see all the separated colors of white light much better. This is called scattering. Raindrops can refract and scatter light just as they do inside a prism. Under certain conditions, as a result of such refraction of light, a rainbow appears in the sky. Each drop is unique: the drop has a completely different size and consistency compared to a glass prism. When white sunlight penetrates a few raindrops at a certain angle, red, orange, yellow, green, blue, indigo and violet colors appear in the sky, i.e. rainbow. Rounding out the rainbow are red and purple and the visible light spectrum.

As light passes through air into a drop of water, the constituent colors of white light begin to scatter, with the speed of each color depending on their frequency. The violet color reflected in the drop is refracted at an obtuse angle, and the red color at an acute angle. On the right side of the drop, some light escapes into the air, and the rest is reflected back. Some reflected light comes out from the left side of the drop, and refraction occurs again as the light moves toward the air.

Thus, each drop scatters white sunlight into its component colors. But why do we see wide colored ribbons, as if each rainy area scatters only one specific color? This is because we only see the color that comes from each drop. When, for example, drop A scatters white light, at a certain angle only one red light comes out, visible to our eye. Other color rays are refracted at a different angle, so we don't see them. sunlight penetrates the falling drops equally, so all nearby drops emit red light. The speed of drop B across the sky is slightly lower, so it will no longer be able to emit red light. But since all other colors have a smaller wavelength, drop B in this case will emit Orange color and all other colors of the rainbow in descending order. The last color to close the rainbow is violet. smallest wave glow. If you look at a rainbow from above, you can see a whole circle consisting of seven thin circles different color. From the ground, we can only see the arch of the rainbow appearing on the horizon. Sometimes two rainbows appear in the sky at once, one of which has a clear outline, while the other looks like a blurry reflection of the first. A faint rainbow is formed according to the same principle as a clear one, but in this case the light is reflected from the surface inside the drop not once, but twice. As a result of this double reflection, the light comes out of the drop at a different angle, so the second rainbow appears slightly taller. If you look closely, you can see that the colors in the second rainbow are reflected in reverse order compared to the first rainbow. As a result of such refraction of light and scattering of rays, a rainbow appears. The sunlight and water that are familiar to us together create a new work of art, given to us by Mother Nature.

Brilliant with bright, magnificent colors, the rainbow amazed the poetic imagination of primitive peoples. It either stretches above the ground, or sparkles in the very garden of Iria, where people rest on it birds of paradise and winged souls.

The rainbow was recognized as having a special, divine character, like all luminaries, therefore, just as in nature, the rainbow is on the verge between a thunderstorm and sunlight, and in folk tales it is in connection with the god of thunder and lightning Perun and the light goddess Lada, one of whose names, by the way, is Perunitsa the Thunderer. In legends, the rainbow is compared to a wide variety of objects.

Since ancient times, the Slavs have believed that the rainbow “drinks” water from lakes, rivers and seas: like a snake, dipping its sting into the water, it draws water into itself, and then releases it, which is why it rains; At the ends of the rainbow a pot of ancient gold coins is hung. The legend depicts three deities, one of whom holds a rainbow and raises water from the river with it, another creates clouds from this water, and the third, breaking them, causes rain. This is like a triune embodiment of Perun.

The Western Slavs have a belief that a witch can steal a rainbow and hide it, which means causing a drought on the earth.

There are also such beliefs: a rainbow is a bridge between heaven and earth; or the belt of the goddess Lada; or the path to the next world, along it the souls of the dead sometimes come to the sinful earth. This is a symbol of abundance, and if the rainbow does not appear for a long time, one should expect famine and crop failure.

In some places they believed that the rainbow was a shiny rocker with the help of which Lada Perunitsa draws water from the sea-ocean, and then irrigates fields and fields with it. This wonderful rocker is kept in the sky, and at night - in the constellation Ursa Major. Riddles about the rainbow also retained its likeness to a rocker and buckets of water: “Two seas hang on an arc,” “A multi-colored rocker hangs over a river.”

Serbs, Macedonians, Bulgarians and Western Ukrainians believe that those who pass under the rainbow change their gender. In western Bulgaria they believed that “if someone wants to change his gender, he must go to the river during the rain and where the rainbow “drinks water”, in the same place he must drink, and then he will turn from a man into a woman and from a woman to a man." This property of the rainbow can be used to magically change the gender of the unborn child. "If a woman who has only given birth to girls goes to drink water in the place where the rainbow “drinks,” then after that she will have water. boys will be born."

In Bulgaria, there is also the idea that the rainbow is “the belt of the Lord, which he rinses during the rain or dries after the rain.” At the same time, the rainbow is also called the “samovil belt.” Serbs and Croats say that God uses the rainbow to show women how to weave and what colors to use.

IN Ancient India the rainbow is the bow of Indra, the thunder god; in addition, in Hinduism and Buddhism, the “rainbow body” is the highest yogic state attainable in the realm of samsara.

In Islam, the rainbow consists of four colors - red, yellow, green and blue, corresponding to the four elements. In some African myths, a celestial serpent is identified with a rainbow, which serves as a guardian of treasures or envelops the Earth in a ring. American Indians identify the rainbow with a ladder that can be used to climb to another world. Among the Incas, the rainbow was associated with the sacred Sun, and the Inca rulers wore its image on their coats of arms and emblems. Among the Chibcha-Muisca Indians, the rainbow was considered a good deity. In the specific mountain conditions of the Cordillera, an amazing natural phenomenon is observed: against the background of a foggy haze, a rainbow sometimes appears, as if framing a many times enlarged reflection of the observer himself. The main sanctuary dedicated to the goddess of the Rainbow, Chibcha, was erected next to the Tekendama mountain waterfall, where the brightest arc always lights up as soon as the rays of the sun hit the water splashes. In Scandinavian mythology, "Bivrest" ("shaking road", "trembling path") is a rainbow bridge connecting heaven and earth. He is guarded by the guardian of the gods, Heimdall. Before the end of the world and the death of the gods, the bridge collapses. IN Ancient Greece the goddess of the rainbow was the virgin Iris, the messenger of the gods, the daughter of Thaumant and the oceanid Electra, the sister of the harpies. She was depicted with wings and a caduceus. Her robe is made up of dew drops shimmering with the colors of the rainbow. According to the ancients, the rainbow connected heaven and earth, therefore, with the development of Olympic mythology, Iris was considered a mediator between gods and people. Unlike Hermes, Iris carried out the orders of Zeus and Hera without showing her own initiative. The canonical image of Iris is a winged maiden (usually sitting next to Hera), holding a vessel of water, with which she delivered water to the clouds.

According to the Bible, the rainbow was created by God after global flood, as a sign of his promise to never send a flood to people again. In the Talmudic tradition, the rainbow was created by God on the sixth day of creation. For the Greeks, the rainbow is a manifestation of the goddess Iris. In medieval Christian images, Christ on the Day of Judgment appears seated on a rainbow. The rainbow is also associated with the Virgin Mary, the mediator between God and people. The symbolism of the rainbow depends on the number of colors in it.
So in China, there are five colors in the rainbow, the combination of which represents the unity of ying and yang. Based on the Aristotelian triad, the Christian West sees in it only three (symbol of the Trinity) primary colors: blue ( heavenly nature Christ), red (Christ's passion) and green (Christ's mission on earth).
The rainbow is an image of peaceful heavenly fire, in contrast to lightning as an expression of anger heavenly powers. The appearance of a rainbow after a thunderstorm, against the backdrop of peaceful nature, together with the sun, made it possible to interpret it as a symbol of peace. In the Bible, the rainbow appears (in the episode with Noah's Ark) as a sign that the water will no longer flood; in general it is seen as a symbol of the covenant made between Yahweh and people. The hemisphere of the rainbow was considered a sphere (the other half of which is supposedly immersed in the ocean), which
emphasized the divine perfection of this natural phenomenon. According to a common interpretation, the red color of the rainbow represents the wrath of God, yellow - generosity, green - hope, blue - pacification of natural forces, purple - greatness.

In the sky the rainbow shines and sparkles,
It’s as if the passage through it is open to us.
A multi-colored ray descended from the sky,
The forest shines in the beautiful rainbow dust.

The foliage shimmers like emerald,
Reflections of the rainbow are visible here and there,
The forest plunged into a fairy tale and fell silent,
He wants to hold on to the wonderful moment.

Science has long explained everything to us,
But it is not possible to fully understand nature.
Seeing a rainbow in the blue sky,
We dream that these are symbols from the outside.

Delight takes us into a sky-high flight,
Perhaps the answer to a miracle awaits there.
The rainbow is shining for us, fresh and good,
The bright colors make your eyes glow with happiness.

February 17, 2013 at 15:39:17| Categories: Nature , Photo , Other

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Rainbow is one of the most magical and beautiful phenomena that we can observe in nature. When we were children, she would mesmerize us with her miraculous appearance literally out of nowhere and bright colors. It is so mysterious, but science has studied this phenomenon quite well. If you want to teach your children all about rainbows, you should read this article.

What is a rainbow?

A rainbow is a special phenomenon that occurs in nature when it is rainy on one side and sunny on the other. It consists of an arc that forms seven colors in the sky, namely violet, green, blue, orange, yellow, blue and red.

Remember the saying: “Every Hunter Wants to Know Where the Pheasant Sits”? Each word in this phrase begins with a letter representing one of the colors. Learn it with your children, they will find it very interesting. So, when sunlight, refracted, passes through tiny raindrops, a rainbow appears.

What is the mechanism of this phenomenon?

A simple explanation for the appearance of rainbows in the sky is that we usually see sunlight. White light that hits our planet from a huge star solar system- in fact, after which the system is named. Of course, this is the Sun. This light is made up of different colors, but as long as it moves in one direction, it appears white.

However, when it rains, millions of droplets cause the colors in white light to separate and refract through them. Each raindrop actually creates its own rainbow, but when there are many of them, the rainbow becomes large enough that we can see it with the naked eye.

Here are some interesting facts about rainbows:

We told you everything we knew about this phenomenon. Now you are armed with all sorts of interesting facts and are ready for any children's questions about rainbows. Even the trickiest ones.

We have all repeatedly seen such an amazing and fascinating natural phenomenon - a rainbow. How does it arise, due to which a huge seven-color arc appears in the sky? Let's take a closer look at the essence of the rainbow as an atmospheric and natural phenomenon.

What is a rainbow as a natural phenomenon?

Rainbow is one of the most beautiful natural phenomena that is usually observed after rain. Rainbows are visible after rain because the sun illuminates many water droplets in the Earth's atmosphere. In shape, a rainbow is a semicircle or arc made up of seven colors of the spectrum - a multi-colored stripe. The higher the viewing point of a rainbow, the fuller and richer it is: for example, from the height of an airplane you can even see the full circle that the rainbow describes. There is one natural pattern: When you observe a rainbow arc, the sun is always behind you.

How and why does a rainbow appear?

A rainbow is primarily a physical phenomenon, which is based on the interaction of light and water. Sunlight is refracted and reflected by water droplets that float in the atmosphere. Drops reflect or deflect light in different ways. An observer who stands with his back to the sun (the source of light) sees a multi-colored glow in front of him. This is nothing more than white light, decomposing into a spectrum of seven colors: red, orange, yellow, green, blue, indigo, violet. But it should be noted that the rainbow, like many physical phenomena, has a peculiarity: seven colors are nothing more than an optical illusion, but in fact the spectrum is continuous, and its colors smoothly transform into each other through many intermediate shades.

Colors of rainbow

The colors of the rainbow are familiar to almost everyone thanks to the children's rhyme “Every hunter wants to know where the pheasant sits.” It is customary to talk about seven spectral colors: red, orange, yellow, green, blue, indigo and violet. However, the number of colors perceived by the eye also depends on the culture of a particular people and era. Let's look at how different peoples saw rainbow colors.

• For the Russian people, a rainbow is an arc of seven colors.
• For the British and Americans, a rainbow is six colors, since blue and blue are the same color in English.
• Among the Australian Aborigines, the rainbow was associated with six symbolic snakes.
• Some African tribes There are only two rainbow colors, or rather shades - light and dark.
• Great ancient Greek philosopher Aristotle identified only three primary colors: red, violet and green, and their combinations, in his opinion, gave the remaining colors.

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