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Why the Sky Appears Blue

The sky appears blue because air molecules scatter blue light from the sun more than they scatter red light. When we look towards the sun at sunset, we see red and orange colors because the blue light has been scattered away. Tyndall discovered that when light passes through a clear fluid holding small particles in suspension, the shorter blue wavelengths are scattered more strongly than the red. This scattering effect is known as Rayleigh scattering. Later scientists realized that the oxygen and nitrogen molecules in air are sufficient to account for the scattering that makes the sky appear blue, not dust or water droplets as was originally thought. Einstein calculated the detailed formula for molecular scattering of light, verifying this explanation.

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Zia Rathore
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12 views2 pages

Why the Sky Appears Blue

The sky appears blue because air molecules scatter blue light from the sun more than they scatter red light. When we look towards the sun at sunset, we see red and orange colors because the blue light has been scattered away. Tyndall discovered that when light passes through a clear fluid holding small particles in suspension, the shorter blue wavelengths are scattered more strongly than the red. This scattering effect is known as Rayleigh scattering. Later scientists realized that the oxygen and nitrogen molecules in air are sufficient to account for the scattering that makes the sky appear blue, not dust or water droplets as was originally thought. Einstein calculated the detailed formula for molecular scattering of light, verifying this explanation.

Uploaded by

Zia Rathore
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© All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
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WHY IS THE SKY BLUE ?

A clear cloudless day-time sky is blue because molecules in te air scatter


blue li!t "rom te sun more tan tey scatter red li!t# Wen $e look
to$ards te sun at sunset% $e see red and oran!e colours because te blue
li!t as been scattered out and a$ay "rom te line o" si!t#
Te $ite li!t "rom te sun is a mi&ture o" all colours o" te rainbo$# Tis
$as demonstrated by Isaac 'e$ton% $o used a (rism to se(arate te
di""erent colours and so "orm a s(ectrum# Te colours o" li!t are
distin!uised by teir di""erent $a)elen!ts# Te )isible (art o" te s(ectrum
ran!es "rom red li!t $it a $a)elen!t o" about *+, nm% to )iolet $it a
$a)elen!t o" about -., nm% $it oran!e% yello$% !reen% blue and indi!o
bet$een# Te tree di""erent ty(es o" colour rece(tors in te retina o" te
uman eye res(ond most stron!ly to red% !reen and blue $a)elen!ts% !i)in!
us our colour )ision#
Tyndall Effect
Te "irst ste(s to$ards correctly e&(lainin! te colour o" te sky $ere taken
by /on Tyndall in 0.12# He disco)ered tat $en li!t (asses trou! a
clear "luid oldin! small (articles in sus(ension% te sorter blue $a)elen!ts
are scattered more stron!ly tan te red# Tis can be demonstrated by
sinin! a beam o" $ite li!t trou! a tank o" $ater $it a little milk or
soa( mi&ed in# 3rom te side% te beam can be seen by te blue li!t it
scatters4 but te li!t seen directly "rom te end is reddened a"ter it as
(assed trou! te tank# Te scattered li!t can also be so$n to be
(olarised usin! a "ilter o" (olarised li!t% 5ust as te sky a((ears a dee(er blue
trou! (olaroid sun !lasses#
Tis is most correctly called te Tyndall e""ect% but it is more commonly
kno$n to (ysicists as 6aylei! scatterin!--a"ter Lord 6aylei!% $o studied
it in more detail a "e$ years later# He so$ed tat te amount o" li!t
scattered is in)ersely (ro(ortional to te "ourt (o$er o" $a)elen!t "or
su""iciently small (articles# It "ollo$s tat blue li!t is scattered more tan
red li!t by a "actor o" 7*,,89,,:
9
;< 0,#
0
Dust or Molecules?
Tyndall and 6aylei! tou!t tat te blue colour o" te sky must be due to
small (articles o" dust and dro(lets o" $ater )a(our in te atmos(ere# E)en
today% (eo(le sometimes incorrectly say tat tis is te case# Later scientists
realised tat i" tis $ere true% tere $ould be more )ariation o" sky colour
$it umidity or a=e conditions tan $as actually obser)ed% so tey
su((osed correctly tat te molecules o" o&y!en and nitro!en in te air are
su""icient to account "or te scatterin!# Te case $as "inally settled by
Einstein in 0200% $o calculated te detailed "ormula "or te scatterin! o"
li!t "rom molecules4 and tis $as "ound to be in a!reement $it
e&(eriment# He $as e)en able to use te calculation as a "urter )eri"ication
o" A)o!adro>s number $en com(ared $it obser)ation# Te molecules are
able to scatter li!t because te electroma!netic "ield o" te li!t $a)es
induces electric di(ole moments in te molecules#
Sunsets
Wen te air is clear te sunset $ill a((ear yello$% because te li!t "rom te
sun as (assed a lon! distance trou! air and some o" te blue li!t as
been scattered a$ay# I" te air is (olluted $it small (articles% natural or
oter$ise% te sunset $ill be more red# Sunsets o)er te sea may also be
oran!e% due to salt (articles in te air% $ic are e""ecti)e Tyndall scatterers#
Te sky around te sun is seen reddened% as $ell as te li!t comin! directly
"rom te sun# Tis is because all li!t is scattered relati)ely $ell trou!
small an!les--but blue li!t is ten more likely to be scattered t$ice or more
o)er te !reater distances% lea)in! te yello$% red and oran!e colours#

MUHAMMAD ZIA-UL-HAQUE
RATHORE
Lecturer in ?emistry
SZABIST Intermediate ?olle!e
@ir(urkas
+

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