Home » Technology » The Science Behind the Blue Sky: Exploring the Factors and Rayleigh Scattering Theory

The Science Behind the Blue Sky: Exploring the Factors and Rayleigh Scattering Theory

10 November 2023   16:16 |

Updated: November 10, 2023 16:26

Kompasiana is a blogging platform. This content is the responsibility of the blogger and does not represent the views of Kompas editorial staff.

photo-info">

Sumber: Boonyachoat From Canva

Have you ever wondered why the sky during the day looks so beautiful with its bright blue color? This phenomenon is indeed interesting to study. Even though the sky actually has a variety of colors, during the day, we often see an alluring blue sky. So, what actually causes the sky to be blue? Let’s find out together!

The Reason The Daytime Sky Is Blue

The blue sky during the day is actually caused by three main factors, namely sunlight, the Earth’s atmosphere, and human perception. These three factors work together to create the beautiful blue color in the sky.

1. Sunlight

Sunlight is the first factor that influences the color of the sky. When we look at the sun with the naked eye, the light looks yellowish white. However, sunlight actually consists of various color spectrums, such as red, orange, yellow, green, blue and purple.

Sunlight has different wavelengths. The wavelengths of blue and violet are shorter than other colors. When sunlight enters the Earth’s atmosphere, interactions occur between the light and the particles in the atmosphere. This is what causes the phenomenon of Rayleigh scattering of light.

2. Earth’s atmosphere

Earth’s atmosphere also plays an important role in determining the color of the sky. The atmosphere consists of various particles, such as oxygen, nitrogen, carbon dioxide and other particles. When sunlight enters the atmosphere, interactions occur between the light and particles in the air.

Blue and violet light have shorter wavelengths, so they are more easily absorbed by particles in the air. This causes blue and violet light to be scattered and scattered more than other colors. As a result, the sky appears blue to the human eye.

3. Human Vision Perception

Human vision perception also plays an important role in the colors we see. The human eye is more sensitive to blue compared to violet. This causes the sky blue color to be more visible compared to other colors.

In fact, the sky during the day can also change color depending on atmospheric conditions and geographical location. For example, the sky can appear whiter or orange when there is water vapor or pollution in the atmosphere. However, blue remains the dominant color that we see in the sky during bright daylight.

Rayleigh Scattering Theory

To better understand the blue sky phenomenon, let’s discuss more about Rayleigh scattering theory. This theory was discovered by a British physicist named John William Strutt or better known as Lord Rayleigh.

Rayleigh scattering is the phenomenon of elastic scattering of light or other electromagnetic radiation when light passes through particles much smaller than the wavelength of the light. This scattering occurs because particles in the Earth’s atmosphere bend the light that passes through it.

Next page
2023-11-10 09:16:05
#Sky #Blue #Find #Answer

Leave a Comment

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.