Light Reflection and Refraction Test - 13

Sun near the horizon passes through thicker layers of air and larger distance in the earth’s atmosphere before reaching our eyes. The light suffers multiple reflections causing red component of the light spectrum to get refracted more compared to the other components. Therefore, the sun appears reddish at sunrise and sun.

Unlike stars, the planet is not situated at a very large distance from the planet. Therefore, it cannot be considered as a point source instead of an extended source. A large number of rays originated from the surface of the planets enters the earth’s atmosphere, gets refracted. The resulting refraction nullifies each other’s effect, and thus the average intensity of the light rays coming from the planets are constant. Hence no twinkle.

When a beam of light strikes such fine particles, the path of the beam becomes visible. The light reaches us, after being reflected diffusely by these particles. The phenomenon of scattering of light by the colloidal particles gives rise to Tyndall effect.

The phenomena of dispersion of light is a consequence of refraction of light. It follows the law of refraction that is also known as laws of refraction.

A rainbow is always formed in a direction opposite to that of sun as the sunlight first refract, then reflect internally, and finally refract again when it comes out of the raindrop.

When the spectrum of light emerging out of a prism is made to pass through an identical second prism that is positioned in an inverted position to the first prism, then a beam of white light emerges out of the second prism.