Explore how you see a rainbow!
Primary
Secondary
Rain Curtain
Single Drop
Multi-drop
- Choosing a rainbow
- Primary checkbox enables the primary bow and its light
rays
- Secondary checkbox enables the secondary bow and its
light rays
- Picking a display mode
- Rain Curtain mode shows two parallel light rays (beams)
from the sun refracting off a raindrop at the both the top and bottom
of the rain curtain
- Single drop mode shows the path inside a single drop
- Multi-drop mode shows three parallel light rays
refracting off
three raindrops at different altitudes
- Note that primary or secondary bows may be
used with each
mode
- Dragging the mouse pointer around
- Drag the sun around (across the top and up/down the right side)
to change the angle of
the parallel light rays from the sun and simulate a time-of-day
- Drag the person back and forth to see the effect of
observer distance from the rain
- When in multi-drop mode drag the refracting drops
up and down
This applet is Copyright © 2008, 2011 and 2013 by Tom Whittaker.