Question

The sky appears to be blue when the sun is high in the sky because

a) blue is the color of air, water, and other fluids in large amounts.
b) red light is scattered more than blue.
c) blue light is scattered more than the other colors.
d) none of these

Answer 1

The sky looks blue when the sun is high because blue light is scattered more than other colors due to the small size of the molecules in the Earth's atmosphere. This phenomenon is known as Rayleigh scattering. The color of the sky changes during sunrise and sunset because the light must travel through more atmosphere, altering the scattering effect.

Step-by-step explanation:

The sky appears to be blue when the sun is high in the sky because c) blue light is scattered more than the other colors. This scattering, known as Rayleigh scattering, is a result of the interaction of sunlight with the Earth's atmosphere. The small size of the molecules in the atmosphere causes shorter wavelengths of light, which are blue, to scatter more efficiently than longer wavelengths, such as reds and yellows. Thus, as sunlight passes through the atmosphere, the blue wavelengths scatter in all directions, making the sky look blue to observers on the ground. The scattering effect is less pronounced for other colors, which is why the sky does not appear green or yellow during the day.

During sunrise and sunset, the sunlight travels through a thicker layer of the atmosphere, scattering blue light out of the line of sight, while the longer red wavelengths pass through and reach the observer's eye, making the sun appear redder.

Answer 2

The sky looks blue when the sun is high because blue light is scattered more than other colors due to the small size of the molecules in the Earth's atmosphere. This phenomenon is known as Rayleigh scattering. The color of the sky changes during sunrise and sunset because the light must travel through more atmosphere, altering the scattering effect.

Step-by-step explanation:

The sky appears to be blue when the sun is high in the sky because c) blue light is scattered more than the other colors. This scattering, known as Rayleigh scattering, is a result of the interaction of sunlight with the Earth's atmosphere. The small size of the molecules in the atmosphere causes shorter wavelengths of light, which are blue, to scatter more efficiently than longer wavelengths, such as reds and yellows. Thus, as sunlight passes through the atmosphere, the blue wavelengths scatter in all directions, making the sky look blue to observers on the ground. The scattering effect is less pronounced for other colors, which is why the sky does not appear green or yellow during the day.

During sunrise and sunset, the sunlight travels through a thicker layer of the atmosphere, scattering blue light out of the line of sight, while the longer red wavelengths pass through and reach the observer's eye, making the sun appear redder.