Science Illustrated

Why can I see tiny rainbows in drops of water?

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Radio waves, microwaves, infrared light, ultraviole­t radiation, X-rays, and gamma rays are electromag­netic (EM) radiation, which consists of photons just like visible light. In a vacuum, all types of electromag­netic radiation move at a speed of about 300,000 km/second (the speed of light), but at different wavelength­s. When EM radiation goes from air to water, the change will slow down some wavelength­s. The shorter the wavelength, the more slowdown. When sunlight hits a drop of water, different wavelength­s are slowed down and bent differentl­y to produce a rainbow effect.

 ??  ?? Rainbows are produced because blue light is slowed down more in water than red light.
Rainbows are produced because blue light is slowed down more in water than red light.

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