What is a Rainbow?
Every one of us loves the rainbow that forms while or after the rain. A Rainbow can be described as a natural phenomenon that creates a magical effect on the environment. In addition, the rainbow colours are soothing, and each colour has its meaning.
Rainbow refers to a kind of arc visible in the sky, caused by the refraction and dispersion of the Sun's light by the rain. Also, it can form by water droplets present in the atmosphere.
Rainbows can be full circles. However, the observer usually sees only an arc formed by illuminated droplets over the ground and on a line centralized from the Sun to the observer's eyes.
The arc depicts red on the outer part and violet on the inner side in a primary rainbow. This rainbow type is purely caused by light being refracted when entering a droplet of water and reflecting inside on the droplet's back, and again refracted when leaving it.
Considering the double rainbow, a second arc is seen outside the primary arc and has the order of its reversed colours, consisting of red on the inner side of the arc. This happens by the light being reflected twice on the droplet's inside before leaving it.
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Rainbow Colors
The colour of the rainbow is a well-known fact for everyone. Every rainbow that shines in the sky is comprised of seven colours. Besides, these colours involve Violet, Indigo, Blue, Green, Yellow, Orange, and Red. Very commonly, people call them a VIBGYOR, as a short form of these colours. These are the VIBGYOR colours or simply called VIBGYOR meaning.
The Seven Colors of Rainbow
The seven colours of the rainbow or VIBJYOR meaning or VIBGYOR full form can be given below.
Red
Red is the rainbow's first colour. Moreover, this colour has the longest wavelength. Also, according to Christianity, this arc resembles Archangel Uriel that represents energy and wisdom.
Additionally, the red arc relates to the base of Hinduism and Buddhism or Muladhara Chakra that is the first chakra, connecting the human being to the physical plane.
Orange
Orange is the second colour of the rainbow arc. Furthermore, this orange colour is the combination of the colour before and after it (respectively, Red and Yellow). On the other side, in a rainbow, orange represents creativity and the ability to enjoy oneself as well.
As most noteworthy, it represents Swadhisthana in the chakra system, which is energy-related with creativity, fertility, and sexuality.
Yellow
This is the third colour of the rainbow arc. Moreover, this arc relates to archangel Jophiel, corresponding to the brilliance of wisdom and thoughts. Furthermore, in the rainbow, the yellow colour represents the brilliance of the SunSun.
In the chakra system, moreover, it represents the Manipura Chakra that is the seat of man's ego and personal power, similar to how the SunSun feeds the earth.
Green
As the fourth colour of the rainbow, green relates to the Archangel Raphael, which corresponds to healing. Additionally, in the rainbow, green represents love, health, and wealth. The chakra system, too, corresponds to Anahata, the heart chakra that can give and receive love.
Blue
Blue is the fifth colour of the arc of the rainbow. In addition, the blue colour is associated with Archangel Michael, who is the leader of all Archangels and represents spirituality also.
Similarly, within the rainbow, blue signifies the spirit world and connection with water.
Also, in the chakra system, it denotes Vishudda, the ability to communicate with purity and throat chakra.
Indigo
As the sixth colour of the rainbow arc, in addition, it represents the bridge between the conscious and subconscious worlds within the rainbow. Also, it is Ajna Chakra in the chakra system represented by the third eye and the capability to be able to see the unseen on the spiritual level.
Violet
Violet is the last and the seventh colour of the rainbow. In addition, it associates with Archangel Zadkeil, who signifies mercy. Also, within the rainbow, the violet colour is the mixture of blue and red, and it corresponds to divine inspiration and imagination.
Moreover, it represents the Sahasrara Chakra in the chakra system, which coincides with the point where human consciousness connects with the divine and spiritual consciousness.
Rainbows on Titan
It's been suggested that the rainbows might exist on Saturn'sSaturn's Moon Titan because it has humid clouds and wet surfaces. The radius of a Titan rainbow would be about 49° instead of 42° because instead of water, the fluid in that cold environment is methane. Although visible rainbows may be rare because of the Titan'sTitan's hazy skies, infrared rainbows may be very common, but a spectator would need infrared night vision goggles to observe them. In addition to this, there are also other rainbows such as rainbows under the moonlight, high order rainbows, fogbows, and more.
When a white light ray passes through the prism in the laboratory, then it splits into its seven component colours.
A rainbow is generally a meteorological phenomenon that is caused by reflection, refraction and dispersion of light.
Rainbows appear in the sky after the rain shower. Dispersion of light by the water droplets results in a spectrum of light by water droplets results in a spectrum of light appearing in the sky. It takes the formation of multicoloured circular arcs in the sky.
Rainbows caused by the sunlight always appear in the section of the sky which is directly opposite to the sun. A raindrop in the sky behaves like a prism.
The basic phenomenon is that light is dispersing into its seven components colour.
Rainbows are the most magical phenomenon which happens in nature. It seems fascinating to humans for a long time. Here are the most interesting facts about the rainbow :
You can never get to the end of the rainbow. If you are a guy who loves nature travelling and wants to see the other end of the rainbow, then it is impossible for you. It is because a rainbow is only the formation of images in the sky and if the orientation changes, you would be unable to see it.
FAQs on Rainbows
1. What is a rainbow and how does it form in the atmosphere?
A rainbow is a natural optical phenomenon that appears as a multicoloured arc in the sky. It forms when sunlight is refracted, reflected, and dispersed by water droplets in the atmosphere, usually after rain. The process splits white sunlight into its seven visible colours—red, orange, yellow, green, blue, indigo, and violet—arranged from outer to inner part of the arc.
2. What sequence of colours is observed in a primary rainbow, and why does this order occur?
The sequence of colours in a primary rainbow is red, orange, yellow, green, blue, indigo, violet (VIBGYOR). This order occurs because red light bends the least and appears on the outer edge, while violet bends the most and appears on the inner edge, due to differences in wavelength during the dispersion of light.
3. How do double rainbows differ from single (primary) rainbows?
In a double rainbow, two arcs appear with the outer (secondary) arc being fainter and having reversed colour order. The secondary rainbow forms when light is reflected twice inside water droplets before exiting, causing red to be on the inner edge and violet on the outer edge, opposite to the primary arc.
4. What are the main physical processes responsible for the formation of a rainbow?
The major processes are:
- Refraction – light bends as it enters a water droplet.
- Reflection – light reflects off the inner surface of the droplet.
- Dispersion – different colours separate due to varying wavelengths.
- The light then exits the droplet, creating the colourful arc seen as a rainbow.
5. Why do rainbows appear as arcs, and why can’t you ever reach the end of a rainbow?
Rainbows form as arcs because the light is dispersed at a fixed angle (about 42° for primary rainbows) relative to the direction opposite the Sun. Each observer sees a unique set of droplets at the correct angle, so the arc appears personal and moves with you, making it impossible to reach the end of a rainbow.
6. Can rainbows occur with any type of liquid droplet, or are they unique to water?
Although water droplets cause most rainbows on Earth, rainbows can theoretically form with any transparent liquid droplet, provided the light can undergo refraction, reflection, and dispersion. For example, on Saturn's moon Titan, rainbows could form with methane droplets, resulting in a different angular radius and possible visibility in infrared light.
7. What are lunar rainbows or moonbows, and how do they differ from typical solar rainbows?
A lunar rainbow or moonbow is formed by moonlight rather than sunlight. They are much fainter than daytime rainbows and often appear white to the human eye because of low light intensity, but the full spectrum is present and can be captured via long-exposure photography.
8. How does total internal reflection contribute to rainbow formation inside raindrops?
Total internal reflection occurs when light inside a raindrop hits the boundary at an angle greater than the critical angle, causing it to reflect completely inside the droplet rather than refract out. This reflection increases the path of light inside the drop, allowing further refraction and dispersion, which are essential for rainbow formation.
9. How does the angle of deviation change when light passes from air into water droplets during rainbow formation?
When light passes from air (a rarer medium) into water (a denser medium), it bends towards the normal due to a higher refractive index. This bending is responsible for the initial separation of colours (dispersion), and then further deviation occurs due to reflection and refraction inside and outside the droplet.
10. What are reflected and reflection rainbows, and how do they occur near water bodies?
Reflected rainbows are formed when the primary rainbow is reflected from the surface of a body of water, producing an upside-down arc below the horizon. Reflection rainbows occur when sunlight reflects off the water surface before reaching rain droplets, resulting in a second rainbow above the horizon, intersecting the original arc. Both require specific conditions and are rarer than standard rainbows.
11. Why do some cultures assign symbolism to each colour of the rainbow, and how does this link to scientific interpretation?
Different cultures attribute symbolic meanings to rainbow colours based on religious or philosophical beliefs, such as associating red with energy or violet with inspiration. While these interpretations offer cultural significance, the scientific explanation for each colour is their distinct wavelength resulting from the dispersion of sunlight by water droplets.
12. What misconceptions commonly exist about the nature of rainbows?
Common misconceptions include:
- Thinking a rainbow has a physical location one can reach (it does not; it’s an optical effect).
- Believing all rainbows are complete circles (only the arc is visible from the ground; a circle rainbow can be seen from an elevated position).
- Assuming rainbows only form after rain (they can also appear near waterfalls or fountains where droplets are suspended).
13. How is the laboratory dispersion of light through a prism similar to and different from atmospheric rainbow formation?
Both use the dispersion of white light into its component colours through refraction. In a prism, light passes through solid glass, while in a rainbow, it passes through spherical raindrops, involving additional internal reflection. The resulting spectrum is linear in the lab but circular/arced in nature.
14. In what section of the sky do rainbows always appear, and why?
Rainbows appear in the section of the sky that is directly opposite the Sun. This is because the light responsible for the rainbow comes from the sunlit side, passes through raindrops, and is bent back at an angle of about 42° towards the observer’s eyes, forming the arc away from the Sun.
15. How does the scientific study of rainbows contribute to our understanding of light and optics as per CBSE 2025–26 Physics curriculum?
The study of rainbows demonstrates key principles of refraction, reflection, dispersion, and total internal reflection. Understanding these aids in grasping broader optics concepts, including how light behaves at boundaries, forms spectra, and is used in everyday phenomena and optical instruments, aligning with the Physics syllabus fundamentals.
