The Physics of Rainbows

By: Jennifer Birky

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Introduction:

As a child, rainbows always captivated my attention.  When deciding what topic to write about for my research paper, I decided that it would be fun to figure out exactly how a rainbow is formed.  I wanted to answer many questions, such as "What makes the colors of the rainbow?", and "How are double rainbows formed?", just to name a few.  As I dove deeper into learning about one of nature's most miraculous and spectacular light shows, I gained a deeper appreciation for them.  To learn more about the physics of rainbows and the different components of rainbows, click here to read my research paper.

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To find more research about the physics of rainbows, click on the following links.

.....formation of reflection rainbows at Atmospheric Optics

...general information about Rainbows

...information about how the scattering theory relates to rainbows

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About Me:

My name is Jennifer Birky and I am from Gibson City, IL.  I am a sophomore at Hesston College this year, majoring in Physical therapy and participating on the Women's Basketball team.  This webpage and research paper was done for a Physics II project.  For more information about Hesston College, click on the following link.   Hesston College Homepage

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Other Sites:

Hesston College Physics Homepage