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.
