Why Is The Sky Blue?

And Sunsets Red?

Standard MS-PS4-2 (Grade 8)

Link to standard CA Next Generation Science Standards (NGSS) for CA Public Schools
Under Integrated Model Standards Arranged by Topics
MS Waves and Electromagnetic Radiation
MS-PS4-2. Develop and use a model to describe that waves are reflected, absorbed, or
transmitted through various materials. [Clarification Statement: Emphasis is on both
light and mechanical waves. Examples of models could include drawings, simulations,
and written descriptions.] [Assessment Boundary: Assessment is limited to qualitative
applications pertaining to light and mechanical waves.]

ROYGBIV represents all the color of the spectrum (red, orange, yellow, green, blue, indigo,
and violet)

Light from the sun looks white, but it is actually of all colors
As ROYGBIV passes through the atmosphere:
ROY- create less scattering - longer wavelengths - lower frequencies - less energy
BIV- create lots of scattering - shorter wavelengths - higher frequencies - more energy

Rayleigh
Scattering
Refers to the scattering of light off of the molecules of the air
Gas molecules smaller than wavelength
Light gets absorbed and eventually radiated in a different directions scattering
Occurs best with short wavelengths (BIV)

Why Is The Sky

Blue?
Sunlight travels through the atmosphere due
to Rayleigh Scattering
Short wavelengths are absorbed, then
scattered around the sky
High frequency -- short wavelengths (BIV)
passes through more atmosphere and
scatters way more than Low frequency -longer wavelengths (ROY)

Why are Sunsets

Red?
As the sun sets over
the horizon, wavelengths travel a longer distance through the
atmosphere
The shorter wavelengths, blue light, are no longer seen due to the scattering of
the longer wavelengths, red and orange

Red and orange become more concentrated

This filtering explains the appearance of the suns reddish color at Sunset

Activity Handout