Question

Which of the following statements correctly explains why rainbows appear on the sky after a rain? *

A. The water from the ground separates sunlight into colors and it is reflected back in the sky to form the rainbow.

B. The droplet of waters from the rain acts as tiny prism that separates sunlight into colors.

C. The clouds after the rain actually act as prism that separates the sunlight into colors.

D. The color of rainbow in the sky is made from the water in the atmosphere.

Answer 1

I expect B is the answer you're looking for; however, D is also so close. The problem I have with B is that there is no rainbow in medium to heavy rain. Rainbows are common just AFTER a rain and there is still a mist in the sky and that's why I like D. Frankly, I don't like questions like this because it forces students to pick the "lesser of two evils". It is good to make a student aware of details and small differences but not, in my opinion, to see the nuance in a sentence as a distinguishing feature. Others may disagree. For example, I have seen rainbows while flying.It is not uncommon. In all instances when I was looking we were NOT in rain but looking in the distance at a misty view. Have you seen a double rainbow; i.e., one above the other? Cool.