Why Are Rainbows Curved?
Classical Mechanics
Level
2
Why does a rainbow have a "circular" shape?
The earth is spherical
None of these choices
Contamination of the water supply by soap particles.
The sun is spherical
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1 solution
The circular shape of a rainbow is formed because -- "Sunlight that shines into a raindrop leaves each raindrop at an angle of 138 degrees from the path that the light traveled before it entered the drop." This is also known as the "rainbow angle" discovered by Rene Descartes.
Image source: Adventures in Physics Dr Doug Davis Quote citation: Earth Sky Org