The Phenomena of light involved in the formation of a rainbow in the sky are
The Phenomena of light involved in the formation of a rainbow in the sky are
Options
Official answer
The correct option is D.
Marking scheme
- 1.1 mark for selecting the correct option (D).
Hint
Think about the three steps light undergoes when interacting with a spherical raindrop: entering the drop, reflecting off the back inner surface, and exiting the drop.
Quick oral answer
The phenomena involved are refraction, dispersion, and internal reflection. The water droplets act as tiny prisms that refract and disperse sunlight, reflect it internally, and refract it again as it exits.
Common mistakes
- 1.Students often confuse 'internal reflection' with 'total internal reflection' at this level, or mistakenly think scattering is involved in rainbow formation.
Analysis and explanation
According to the NCERT textbook, a rainbow is a natural spectrum caused by the dispersion of sunlight by tiny water droplets in the atmosphere. The water droplets act like small prisms. They first refract and disperse the incident sunlight, then reflect it internally (internal reflection), and finally refract it again when it comes out of the raindrop. Therefore, the three physical phenomena involved are refraction, dispersion, and internal reflection.
- Option A is incorrect because it does not capture the precise sequence of events described in the text.
- Option B is incorrect because the Class 10 NCERT curriculum specifically refers to the reflection inside the droplet as 'internal reflection' rather than 'total internal reflection'.
- Option C is incorrect because scattering is not the phenomenon responsible for rainbow formation; scattering is responsible for the blue color of the sky and the reddening of the Sun.
Interesting facts
A rainbow is always formed in a direction opposite to that of the Sun, and you can only see it when the Sun is behind you.
Question details
Q13 of 39 questions
- Board
- CBSE
- Class
- Class 10
- Subject
- Science
- Year
- 2024
- Section
- Section A
- Marks
- 1
- Type
- MCQ
- Chapter
- The Human Eye and the Colourful World
- Topic
- Rainbow Formation
- Bloom's level
- Understanding
- Syllabus topic
- Dispersion of white light by a glass prism
Spotted a mistake or something unclear?
Tell us and we will fix it.
Frequently asked questions
How many marks does this question carry in CBSE Class 10 Science 2024?
This question carries 1 mark in the CBSE Class 10 Science 2024 examination.
Which chapter does this question come from in Science?
This question is from the chapter "The Human Eye and the Colourful World" in the CBSE Class 10 Science syllabus.
What topic does this question cover in Science?
This question covers the topic "Rainbow Formation" from CBSE Class 10 Science.
What type of question is this in the CBSE Class 10 Science 2024 paper?
This is a MCQ question from Section A in the CBSE Class 10 Science 2024 paper.