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Answer: A rainbow has circular shape because raindrops are spherical. A rainbow appears circular because it forms from sunlight refracted, reflected, and dispersed in water droplets at a specific angle, about 42 degrees from the observer’s line of sight. This consistent angle creates a circular arc centered opposite the sun. Thus, option B. Raindrops are spherical is the correct answer.
Complete Answer:
A rainbow appears circular because of the way light behaves when it passes through water droplets in the atmosphere. This is a concept from Physics related to the refraction, reflection, and dispersion of light.
When sunlight enters a water droplet, it slows down and bends, a process called refraction. Inside the droplet, the light reflects off the inner surface and then bends again as it exits. During this process, the light also splits into different colors (this is called dispersion) because different colors of light bend by different amounts. This is why we see a spectrum of colors in a rainbow.
The light exits the droplet at a specific angle, usually around 42 degrees, from the direction opposite the Sun. This angle is the same for every droplet that contributes to the rainbow. The result is a cone of light, and we see only part of that cone, which forms an arc.
If the ground weren’t in the way, like when viewed from an airplane, a rainbow would actually appear as a full circle. So, the circular shape comes from the geometry of how light travels and reflects inside water droplets, and how we see it from a certain angle.
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