Rainbows (61 Near Nature Experiments)

You will need:

1. Plain white sheet of
   paper
2. Bright sunny outdoors
3. Clear glass filled 3/4ths
   of the way with water

We have seen rainbows in Nature and also attempted to create them indoors. Yet understanding this beautiful creation of Nature only makes us appreciate it more.

INSTRUCTIONS

1. Hold the plain white sheet of paper in one hand and the glass of water above the paper by other hand.
2. Let the sunlight refract through the glass onto the paper.
3. Keep changing the height at which
   you hold the
   glass and the
   angle. What happens
   to the rainbow?

RESULT

Rainbows are not just created in the sky. Many of us have seen rainbows formed near a waterfall, river, ocean or even a fountain. There are various forms which a rainbow takes (such as twin rainbows, supernumerary rainbows, reflected rainbows, etc.) depending on the angle at which the sun reflects light onto any water-body or droplet. While one can never see a completely circular rainbow unless it is viewed from high above the ground, a rare phenomenon known as 22 degrees halo gives the illusion of a circular rainbow forming around the sun (or moon). The halo is formed as a result of hexagonal ice crystals suspended in the atmosphere which refracts sunlight.