Why is the Sky Blue?
Posted on November 26, 2007 Comments (5)
Here is a a nice post explaining why we see blue when we look at the sky, Why Is The Sky Blue?:
There are particles of water–tiny droplets too small to be seen as clouds. There are particles of organic material–smog or haze, condensed from volatile organic chemicals that have gotten into the air. There are particles of sulfuric acid from volcanoes and power plants. There are molecules of gases in the atmosphere.
These tiny particles, much smaller than the wavelengths of sunlight, scatter the sunlight as photons from the Sun interact with the particles. This is called Rayleigh scattering after the British physicist who described how it works. (Larger particles, like the water droplets in clouds, are closer to the wavelengths of sunlight, and they scatter it differently. This is why clouds are not blue.)
Science explained – quick overviews of scientific concepts: How Does That Happen? Science Provides the Answer – Incredible Insects – 10 Science Facts You Should Know – What Everyone Should Learn – Science Summary: Photosynthesis – String Theory in 1 page – How do antibiotics kill bacteria?
5 Responses to “Why is the Sky Blue?”
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February 24th, 2008 @ 12:09 pm
“Have you ever wondered why some flames are yellow, while others are blue? Growing up, I was always told that it was a matter of temperature, that hot flames were blue and cooler flames were yellow…”
October 7th, 2008 @ 1:27 pm
at higher elevations the air pressure is lower (molecules and atoms under less pressure move more slowly which means the temperature is less)
March 1st, 2009 @ 6:14 pm
Now if I can just commit that to memory the next time my son asks me some impossible question I’ll be able to answer it
July 9th, 2009 @ 1:41 pm
I used to always hear the sky was blue because the ocean reflected on the earths atmosphere…thanks for the knowledge…lol
August 24th, 2009 @ 11:08 pm
A molecule is the smallest particle of a compound that has all the chemical properties of that compound. Molecules are made up of two or more atoms, either of the same element or of two or more different elements…