- Home/
- CDS & Defence/
- Article
Sun appears red at sunrise and sunset. This is due to light having?
By BYJU'S Exam Prep
Updated on: September 25th, 2023
(a) longer wavelengths get scattered away.
(b) shorter wavelengths get scattered away.
(c) lower frequencies get scattered away.
(d) all frequencies get scattered away.
Sun appears red at sunrise and sunset. This is due to light having shorter wavelengths getting scattered away. There are seven colors in sunlight: violet, indigo, blue, green, yellow, orange, and red. Red is the color with the longest wavelength out of the seven, whereas blue is the one with the shortest. Because the sun’s rays are close to the horizon during sunset and sunrise, they must traverse a bigger portion of the atmosphere. For this reason, light having shorter wavelengths than red is primarily scattered away. Our eyes get most of the red light, which is the least dispersed. As a result, the sky and sun appear to be red.
Wavelength
The distance between the two crests or troughs of the light wave is known as the wavelength of light. Using the Greek letter lambda (λ), it is identified. As a result, wavelength refers to the separation between one wave’s crest or dip and the following wave.
- The visible light spectrum has a wavelength range of 400 to 700 nanometers, and in this section, we learn what each color’s wavelength is.
- The visible light spectrum contains a wide variety of colors with various wavelengths.
- The wavelength of the violet color is believed to be the shortest, while the wavelength of the red color is said to be the longest.
Therefore, shorter wavelengths get scattered away.
Summary:
Sun appears red at sunrise and sunset. This is due to light having – (a) longer wavelengths getting scattered away. (b) shorter wavelengths get scattered away. (c) lower frequencies get scattered away. (d) all frequencies get scattered away.
At sunrise and dusk, the sun appears crimson. This occurs because light with shorter wavelengths scatters away. The distance between the two troughs or crests of the light wave is called the wavelength of light.
