The Fascinating Colors of the Sky Explained

What makes the sky appear to be blue?

A. Only blue light can pass through the atmosphere without hitting particles.

B. The particles in the atmosphere are naturally blue.

C. Only blue light is absorbed by the particles in the atmosphere.

D. Only blue light is reflected by the particles in the atmosphere.

Answer:

The reason behind the sky appear to be blue is that only blue light is reflected by the particles in the atmosphere. Therefore, option D is correct.

Rebecca wonders why the sky appears blue. This phenomenon is due to the scattering of sunlight as it passes through Earth's atmosphere. The molecules in the air scatter different colors of light differently because of their wavelength. Blue light has a shorter wavelength and is scattered more efficiently by the small air molecules compared to colors with longer wavelengths like red, green, or yellow. Therefore, when we look up at the sky, we see a higher concentration of scattered blue light, which makes the sky look blue. The correct answer is D. Only blue light is reflected by the particles in the atmosphere.