Question 121 markMCQSection A

The phenomena of light involved in the formation of rainbow are :

The Human Eye and the Colourful World
Dispersion of White Light by a Glass Prism

Options

(A)Refraction, reflection and dispersion
(B)Refraction, dispersion and internal reflection
(C)Reflection, dispersion and internal reflection
(D)Refraction, dispersion, scattering and total internal reflection

Official answer

The correct option is B.

Answer keywords:RefractionDispersionInternal reflectionWater droplets

Marking scheme

  1. 1.1 mark

Hint

Recall how a water droplet acts like a tiny prism: it bends and splits the light, reflects it inside, and bends it again as it exits.

Quick oral answer

The three phenomena are refraction, dispersion, and internal reflection. The water droplet refracts and disperses the light, reflects it internally, and refracts it again upon exiting.

Common mistakes

  1. 1.Choosing options with 'scattering' because they confuse rainbow formation with the blue color of the sky.
  2. 2.Confusing simple reflection with internal reflection.

Analysis and explanation

According to the NCERT textbook (Section 10.4), 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, and finally refract it again when it comes out of the raindrop.


  • Option B is correct because it accurately lists the three key phenomena in sequence: refraction, dispersion, and internal reflection.
  • Option A is incorrect because it mentions simple reflection instead of internal reflection, and misses the specific sequence of dispersion.
  • Option C is incorrect because it omits the initial refraction of light entering the droplet.
  • Option D is incorrect because scattering is not involved in the primary formation of a rainbow, and the textbook specifically terms the reflection inside the droplet as 'internal reflection' rather than 'total internal reflection'.

Interesting facts

A rainbow is always formed in a direction opposite to that of the Sun, and the water droplets act as tiny, natural suspended glass prisms.

Question details

Q12 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
Dispersion of White Light by a Glass Prism
Bloom's level
Remembering
Syllabus topic
Rainbow formation

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 "Dispersion of White Light by a Glass Prism" 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.