Bueller, Ferris Bueller?

[reedie4life]

Hi everyone!!! It's been a while since I updated but I had this peculiar question

Comments

Rayleigh Scattering

[houglet]

Why is the sky blue?
The atmosphere is composed mostly of oxygen and nitrogen. These atoms are about the same size as the wavelenth of visible light. This means rayleigh scattering comes in. The blue light is scattered when the sun is more in line with what your looking at.

Why are sunsets orange/red?
The blue light is scattered away because the light must pass a longer distance through the amosphere and all thats let when it gets to us is light in that range of wavelengths.

Re: Rayleigh Scattering

[reedie4life]

Hey Juliet!

Okay, so I get the rayleigh scattering stuff and I've always understood about the sunset...

Wait, so are you saying that the old 'addage' that the sky is blue because of the water is untrue? Ha. Maybe the water is blue because of the sky... hmm

But does blue light + red light = green? Or what? Why don't we see a green sun? And, you know when the sky is white or overcast... why is the sun still orange? Not to pick on your or anything, just writing thoughts as they come to me. :)

Thanks for your response, in any case. How are classes going for you? Good, I hope!

Re: Rayleigh Scattering

[houglet]

Does the sun produce a visible light spectrum limted to just green? Clouds, I know nothing about clouds.

Re: Rayleigh Scattering

[reedie4life]

Hmm. Well I know that the sun, outside of the earth's atmosphere, is green. How limited the spectrum is, I have no idea.

Clouds are a mystery, aren't they?

Thanks for all your insight Juliet! :)

[winter_in_asia]

Blue wavelengths have trouble making it through the atmosphere, hence.

[reedie4life]

Do you think that is due to the rayleigh scattering discussed earlier?

[winter_in_asia]

I dunno. I'm just pulling my armchair physicist routine. I'll do some research, though.