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| Rainbows a wonder of nature |
When we pass light through a prism of glass, we are able to see the seven colours it is made up of. A shower of rain leaves everthing around looking bright and fresh. On occasions, during a shower of rain, we see an arch of seven colours in the sky, quite like the seven colours of light passing through a prism of glass. In reality both these effects are same.
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As the rain falls, the rays of the Sun pass through the drops of water, which act like prisms, and the seven colours of light can be seen in the sky. Light always travels in straight line but it changes its direction and bends slightly when it passes through an object of a higher density. This effect can be observed when we put a spoon in a glass full of water, from the outside the spoon would appear bent at the point where it enters the water. This bending effect is called refraction.
In the sky raindrops too refract the sunlight. Sunlight has to pass through the drops of water at a very low angle, which is the reason why rainbows are seen only when the Sun is at a low angle either in the morning or in the eventing. Rainbows can also be seen if a person is located at a higher elevation, in front of a waterfall. Even thoufh the reason for their formation is well known, rainbows are beautiful and truly a wonder of nature.
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