Ch. 15: Light, Color, and Atmospheric Optics

mirage

Phenomenon that makes objects appear higher or lower than they actually are

If there was no atmosphere surrounding the earth, the sky during the day would appear what color?

black

If you were standing on the moon, the color of the sky would be:

black

For halos and sun pillars to form, ______________________________ must be present in the atmosphere.

ice crystals

If the setting sun appears red, you may conclude that:

only the longest waves of visible light are striking your eye

If you looked in the general direction of the sun you would not be able see a:

rainbow

halo

A ring of light encircling and extending outward from the sun or moon

corona

A ring of light that appears to rest on the moon or sun

sun pillar

A vertical streak of light extending above (or below) the sun

scattered light

Another name for diffuse light

crepuscular rays

Beams of light shining downward through breaks in clouds

Which of the following are caused by the bending of light through ice crystals?

Halos and sundogs.

Clouds in the tropics tend to move from east to west. Consequently, what rhyme best describes a rainbow seen in the tropics?

Rainbow at the break of dawn means the rain is gone.

Which of the following processes must occur in a raindrop to produce a rainbow?

Refraction, reflection, and dispersion of sunlight.

scintillation

The apparent twinkling of a star

twilight

The time after sunset or before sunrise when the sky is illuminated

Which of the following would be true if the Earth did not have an atmosphere?

There would be fewer hours of daylight, the sky would always be black, and the stars would be visible in the sky during the day.

green flash

This can be seen near the upper rim of the sun at sunrise or sunset

rainbow

You can see this only when the sun is to your back and it is raining in front of you

The bending of light as it passes around objects is called:

diffraction

The breaking up of white light by selective refraction is called ___________________.

dispersion

At sunrise in the middle latitudes, a sundog would appear in the west.

false

The best time of day to see a rainbow is around noon.

false

When a star appears near the horizon, its actual position is slightly higher.

false

Clouds in the tropics tend to move from east to west. Consequently, which rhyme best describes a rainbow seen in the tropics?

rainbow at the break of dawn/ means, of course, the rain is gone

As light passes through ice crystals, _____ light is bent the least and is, therefore observed on the _____ of halos and sundogs.

red ... inside

sun pillar

reflection

Fata Morgana

refraction

The bending of light through an object is called ______________.

refraction

halo

refraction

inferior mirage

refraction

star scintillation

refraction

sundog

refraction

wet-looking pavement on a clear, dry, hot day

refraction

Which of the following processes must occur in a raindrop to produce a rainbow?

refraction, reflection, and dispersion of sunlight

When sunlight strikes an object and the light is sent in all directions, the light is said to be _______________.

scattered

On a foggy night it is usually difficult to see the road when the high beam lights are on because of the _____ of light.

scattering

When distant mountains appear blue, it is mainly due to the ____ of light.

scattering

blue moons

scattering

blue skies

scattering

crepuscular rays

scattering

hazy skies

scattering

white clouds

scattering

The type of mirage that makes objects appear higher than they actually are is called a _______________________________.

superior mirage

Stars are not visible during the day because:

the scattered light coming from the sky is too bright to be able to see the weaker light from the stars.

Coronas and cloud iridescence are produced by the process of diffraction.

true

If the earth had no atmosphere, the stars would be visible all the time.

true

Rainbows form in much the same way as a mirage.

true

Secondary rainbows occur when two internal reflections of light occur in raindrops.

true

Small suspended salt particles, volcanic ash, and small suspended dust particles are all capable of producing red sunrises and sunsets.

true

The Fata Morgana is actually a type of mirage.

true

The best time of day to see the green flash is around noon when the sun's rays are most intense.

true

Secondary rainbows occur when:

two internal reflections of light occur in raindrops.