Why are the clouds white?

Classical Mechanics Level 1

Why are clouds white?

Enter the letter of the correct answer.

A: The water droplets that make up clouds are large enough to scatter light of all wavelengths, which combine to make white light.

B: Clouds scatter light of the wavelength of white.

C: The Sun's rays bounce off the water droplets and hit many other objects before reaching our eyes, hence making them look white.

D: Our eyes really perceive everything as white, it's just that some things are actually, black in some amount, which changes the colour we see them to be.

Inspired by Why is the sky blue? .
A B D C

A Former Brilliant Member by A Former Brilliant Member

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5 solutions

Gabriel Hercúles
Aug 17, 2015

C and D are not possible. Personally, I think they are illogical. B talks about "the wavelength of white", but actually that does not really exist. When we see "white" we are really perceiving all the wavelengths at the same time, and that is what option A says.

14 Helpful 0 Interesting 0 Brilliant 0 Confused

I agree.. Option A seems most logical.. But, this question make me wonder why raining clouds look black or gray!! Any thoughts?

Abhinav Dixit - 5 years, 9 months ago

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Rain clouds look grey and black instead of white because of their thickness, or height. That is, a cloud gets thicker and denser as it gathers more water droplets and ice crystals the thicker it gets, the more light it scatters, resulting in less light penetrating all the way through it. The particles at the bottom of the cloud don't have a lot of light to scatter, so the base appears grey.

Devang Jain - 5 years, 9 months ago

Water droplets have to be tiny but clouds formed have to be large. These are the only clarifications required. I agree with you for B, C and D.

Lu Chee Ket - 5 years, 8 months ago
Hadia Qadir
Aug 30, 2015

C and D are not possible. Personally, I think they are illogical. B talks about "the wavelength of white", but actually that does not really exist. When we see "white" we are really perceiving all the wavelengths at the same time, and that is what option A says.

1 Helpful 0 Interesting 0 Brilliant 0 Confused
Sadasiva Panicker
Aug 25, 2015

The water droplets that make up clouds are large enough to scatter light of all wavelengths, which combine to make white light.

1 Helpful 0 Interesting 0 Brilliant 0 Confused
Ishita .S
Aug 25, 2015

C and D are not possible. B talks about "the wavelength of white", but actually that does not really exist. When we see "white" we are really perceiving all the wavelengths at the same time, and that is what option A says.

1 Helpful 0 Interesting 0 Brilliant 0 Confused
Tushar Kaushik
Sep 9, 2015

Ots the most acceptable opinion

0 Helpful 0 Interesting 0 Brilliant 0 Confused

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