VIETNAM NATIONAL UNIVERSITY – HO CHI MINH CITY

HO CHI MINH UNIVERSITY OF TECHNOLOGY

Faculty of Applied Science

Subject: Physics 2
PHYSICAL PRINCIPLE OF
THE RAINBOW
INSTRUCTOR: Prof. Huynh Quang Linh
STUDENTS: Tran Huu Thang 1652775
Le Ba Khoa
1652299
Introduction

Principle

Conclusion
 Introduction
Definition: A rainbow is a meteorological
phenomenon that is caused by reflection,
refraction and dispersion of light in water
droplets resulting in a spectrum of light
appearing in the sky. It takes the form of a
multicoloured circular arc. Rainbows caused
by sunlight always appear in the section of sky
directly opposite the sun. [1]
We usually only see rainbow after a shower of
rain, and it also occurs in waterfalls and ocean
waves. This is because water droplets is
essential in the formation of rainbow.
Basically, rainbow is formed when white light
dispersed, reflected and refracted by water
droplets.
[1] Masters J. (2005) “The 360-degree Rainbow”. Wunderground. Retrieved from:
https://web.archive.org/web/20150129105423/http://www.wunderground.com/blog/JeffMasters/the-360degree-rainbow
 Introduction
The steps involved in the process
1. Sunlight strikes water droplet
2. Reflection of light at the surface of water droplets
3. Refraction of light – light entering the water droplet
4. Light dispersion
5. Internal reflection occur at the water-to-air
interface
6. Refraction of light – light leaving the water droplet
7. Further light dispersion
 Principle
Step 1: Sunlight strikes water droplets
Before we start, let’s think about when we usually see rainbow:
• After a shower of rain
• Dawn or late afternoon
 Principle
Step 1: Sunlight strikes water droplets
But why can’t we sees rainbow at night, or when it doesn’t rain?
• It is because sunlight and water droplets are essential in the
formation of rainbow.
 Principle
Step 1: Sunlight strikes water droplets
• But even if it rain, we still seldom see rainbow during early morning,
middle afternoon or late evening.
• It is because the sunlight must strike the water droplets at a certain
angle before the formation of rainbow is possible.
• It is best if the sun is fairly low in the sky such as dawn and late
afternoon.
 Principle
Step 2: Reflection of light at the surface of water
droplets
• It is possible to see
through a glass window
but, at the same time, see
your own reflection.
• This is because the
window both transmits
and reflects light.
 Principle
Step 2: Reflection of light at the surface of water
droplets
• Similarly, water can do this too – that is why you can see a reflection
in a pool of clean water and also see the bottom [2]. When sun light
hits a water droplet, some of the light is being reflected. This light will
obey the Law of Reflection.

[2] Hogben L., Steven J. (1995) “Refraction of Light by a Water Droplet and Rainbows”. Larson 3.3.66. Somewhere within the Rainbow.
Retrieved from: https://orion.math.iastate.edu/lhogben/classes/rainbow.pdf
 Principle
Step 2: Reflection of light at the surface of water
droplets
• Recap – Law of reflection[3]
• The angle of incident (i) must
be equal to the angle of
reflection (r).

[3] “The three laws of reflection”. Mammoth memory. Retrieved from: https://mammothmemory.net/physics/mirrors/flat-mirrors/the-three-
laws-of-reflection.html
 Principle
Step 3 – Refraction of light – light entering the
water droplet
• Refraction occur when a light wave passes
from one medium to another. The light
slows down when travel to a denser
medium according to Snell’s Law [4]. Thus
the light will bent towards to the normal
so that the angle of incident (i) is greater
than the angle of refraction (r)

[4] Julie R. (2011). “Equation: The Law of Rainbows”. Wired Magazine. Retrieved from: https://www.wired.com/2011/08/st_equation_rainbows/
 Principle
Step 3 – Refraction of light – light entering the
water droplet
• For example, in the picture below, the light is refracted in the glass
block because the glass block is denser than the air, thus the light
slows down and bend toward the normal when passing through the
glass block.
 Principle
Step 3 – Refraction of light – light entering the
water droplet
• Similarly, water can also refract light. After reflection of light occur at
the surface of the water droplets, the rest of the light will enter the
water droplet and being refracted.
 Principle
Step 4: Light dispersion
• A beam of white light (e.g. sunlight), is made up of wavelengths of different
colors of light.
• Different wavelengths travel at different speeds. When they encounter a
change to medium that is more dense or less dense, the speeds are
affected by different amounts. Hence, the colors separate.
• This phenomenon is know as Dispersion [5].

[5] Born, Max; Wolf, Emil (1999). “Principles of Optics”. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press. pp. 14–24. ISBN 0-521-64222-1 .
 Principle
Step 4: Light dispersion
• For example, when a beam of white light passed through a prism, the
beam of light is dispersed and the colors are separated.
 Principle
Step 4: Light dispersion
• Such process could also seen when light passed through water
droplets.
• The picture below shows white light incident on a drop of water on a
CD resulting in dispersion.
 Principle
Step 4: Light dispersion
• Basically, the colors dispersed are Red, Orange, Yellow, Green, Blue, Indigo, an
Violet in that order respectively [6], [7].
• Each color has different wavelength, as shown below.

[6] Isaac Newton, Optice: Sive de Reflexionibus, Refractionibus, Inflexionibus & Coloribus Lucis Libri Tres, Propositio II, Experimentum VII,
edition 1740: Ex quo clarissime apparet, lumina variorum colorum varia esset refrangibilitate : idque eo ordine, ut color ruber omnium minime
refrangibilis sit, reliqui autem colores, aureus, flavus, viridis, cæruleus, indicus, violaceus, gradatim & ex ordine magis magisque refrangibiles.
[7] Gary Waldman, Introduction to Light: The Physics of Light, Vision, and Color,2002, p. 193: A careful reading of Newton’s work indicates that
the color he called indigo, we would normally call blue; his blue is then what we would name blue-green or cyan.
 Principle
Step 4: Light dispersion
• Violet light has a higher frequency and energy than red light. Hence
violet light travels slightly faster than red light. The result of this
difference is that when white light is refracted, the violet component
is bent most and the red component is bent least.
 Principle
Step 4: Light dispersion
 Principle
Step 4: Light dispersion
• Therefore, this resulted a violet light to be located in the inner section of the
rainbow and red light to be located in the outer section of the rainbow. This
same principle explains the reasons for the order in which the different colors
of light appears in a rainbow.
 Principle
Step 5: internal reflection occur at the water-
to-air interface
• At the water-to-air interface of the water droplets, internal reflection
will occur
 Principle
Step 6: Refraction of light – light leaving the
water droplet
• In the other way round, when light travel from a medium to another
less dense medium, the light will travel at a greater speed. Thus the
light will bent away from the normal so that the angle of incident (i) is
smaller than the angle of refraction (r)
 Principle
Step 6: Refraction of light – light leaving the
water droplet
• Thus, when light travels back out of the raindrop, refraction occurs.
The diagram below shows the angles for the violet ray.
 Principle
Step 7: Further light dispersion
• Thus, after the sunlight leaves the water droplets, it is being refracted
again. Hence it will increased the separation of the component colors
of white light again (dispersion).
• The rainbow is finally formed when sunlight dispersed, reflected and
refracted through thousands of water droplets in the atmosphere.
 Conclusion

• No two person will see exactly the same rainbow

• A “rainbow” is not a physical object and cannot be physically
approached.
 Conclusion

A rainbow is always directly opposite the sun from the observer. That is,
the rainbow appears in front of the observer, whose back is to the sun.
 Conclusion

We see a rainbow at 42 degree angle [8], it is measured from each

observers eye thus therefore, no two persons will see exactly the same
rainbow.

[8] Anon (2004). "Solution, Week 81, Rainbows“. Harvard University Department of Physics.
Retrieved from: https://web.archive.org/web/20161008031439/https://www.physics.harvard.edu/uploads/files/undergrad/probweek/sol81.pdf
 References
[1] Masters J. (2005) “The 360-degree Rainbow”. Wunderground. Retrieved from:
https://web.archive.org/web/20150129105423/http://www.wunderground.com/blog/JeffMasters/the-360degree-rainbow
[2] Hogben L., Steven J. (1995) “Refraction of Light by a Water Droplet and Rainbows”. Larson 3.3.66. Somewhere within the Rainbow.
Retrieved from: https://orion.math.iastate.edu/lhogben/classes/rainbow.pdf
[3] “The three laws of reflection”. Mammoth memory. Retrieved from: https://mammothmemory.net/physics/mirrors/flat-mirrors/the-
three-laws-of-reflection.html
[4] Julie R. (2011). “Equation: The Law of Rainbows”. Wired Magazine. Retrieved from:
https://www.wired.com/2011/08/st_equation_rainbows/
[5] Born, Max; Wolf, Emil (1999). “Principles of Optics”. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press. pp. 14–24. ISBN 0-521-64222-1 .
[6] Isaac Newton, Optice: Sive de Reflexionibus, Refractionibus, Inflexionibus & Coloribus Lucis Libri Tres, Propositio II, Experimentum VII,
edition 1740: Ex quo clarissime apparet, lumina variorum colorum varia esset refrangibilitate : idque eo ordine, ut color ruber omnium
minime refrangibilis sit, reliqui autem colores, aureus, flavus, viridis, cæruleus, indicus, violaceus, gradatim & ex ordine magis magisque
refrangibiles.
[7] Gary Waldman, Introduction to Light: The Physics of Light, Vision, and Color,2002, p. 193: A careful reading of Newton’s work indicates
that the color he called indigo, we would normally call blue; his blue is then what we would name blue-green or cyan.
[8] Anon (2004). "Solution, Week 81, Rainbows“. Harvard University Department of Physics.
Retrieved from:
https://web.archive.org/web/20161008031439/https://www.physics.harvard.edu/uploads/files/undergrad/probweek/sol81.pdf
Conclusion
Conclusion
Conclusion