Which of the following statements with regard to the phenomenon of the

Which of the following statements with regard to the phenomenon of the primary rainbow formation by water droplets is/are correct ?

  • 1. It involves refraction and one internal reflection of sunlight.
  • 2. It involves refraction of sunlight only.
  • 3. It is formed as the inner bow.
  • 4. It may involve more than one internal reflection as well as refraction of sunlight.

Select the answer using the code given below :

1 only
1 and 3
3 and 4
2 and 3
This question was previously asked in
UPSC NDA-1 – 2024
The formation of a primary rainbow involves sunlight entering a water droplet, undergoing refraction at the front surface, reflecting internally off the back surface, and then refracting again as it exits the front surface. This process disperses the white light into its constituent colors. Statement 1 correctly describes this as involving refraction and one internal reflection. The primary rainbow appears as the inner and brighter bow in the sky, formed by deviation angles around 40-42 degrees relative to the direction opposite the sun. Statement 3 correctly identifies it as the inner bow. Statement 2 is incorrect as reflection is crucial. Statement 4 describes the formation of secondary or higher-order rainbows, not the primary rainbow, which specifically involves a single internal reflection.
– Primary rainbow involves one internal reflection and two refractions of sunlight within water droplets.
– Primary rainbow is the brighter, inner bow observed in the sky.
– Different colors are deviated by different angles due to dispersion during refraction.
The secondary rainbow, which is fainter and appears outside the primary bow (at angles around 50-53 degrees), is formed by sunlight undergoing two internal reflections within the water droplet. The order of colors is reversed in the secondary rainbow compared to the primary one.
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