Why is the sky blue

[sebbysteiny]

For all my experience in physics, I've managed to answer all the questions that I used to annoy my parents with: all, except one.

 

 

So to put to rest my childhood dilema, can anybody tell me why the sky is blue?

[Erasmus00]

So to put to rest my childhood dilema, can anybody tell me why the sky is blue?

 

There is a long and a short. The short is that air is lightly tinted blue. You can't notice it right in front of you, but stack up lots of layers and you notice the blue.

 

Why is air blue is a slightly different question. Calculate the scattering of light off of incoherent dipoles and you'll see the scattering (Rayleigh scattering) goes like w^4, where w is the angular frequency of the radiation. Hence, it scatters more blue then red light.

-Will

[Turtle]

Here's a happy medium:

http://math.ucr.edu/home/baez/physics/General/BlueSky/blue_sky.html

:eek_big:

[Michaelangelica]

For all my experience in physics, I've managed to answer all the questions that I used to annoy my parents with: all, except one.

 

So to put to rest my childhood dilema, can anybody tell me why the sky is blue?

 

I used to drive my Dad mad with that one.

He never could answer it.

 

I have been told that it is the moisture in the atmosphere, sunlight reflecting off it somehow.

I was also told this was not right!

I still don't know for sure!

 

so does someone want to expalin this sentence?

 

"The case was finally settled by Einstein in 1911, who calculated the detailed formula for the scattering of light from molecules; and this was found to be in agreement with experiment. He was even able to use the calculation as a further verification of Avogadro's number when compared with observation. The molecules are able to scatter light because the electromagnetic field of the light waves induces electric dipole moments in the molecules."

[C1ay]

HowStuffWorks has a thorough answer for your question.

[somebody]

i dont know if you guy seen the ad on TV about girls-club or girlscout but that little girl asks her dad the same and then she explains it to him so i take her word for that :confused:

[sebbysteiny]

Thanks guys. You've filled a child hood void.

[Lsos]

So basically, the sky is blue for the same reason that an orange is orange?

[ronthepon]

So basically, the sky is blue for the same reason that an orange is orange?

No. Oranges refelct orange light. The sky, absorbs and distributes blue light.

[TheFaithfulStone]

I'm totally going to answer "because of Raleigh scattering on incoherent dipoles" when my kids ask me that question.

 

HA! Thought you could outsmart old dad huh? Well, well, well!

 

TFS

[anglepose]

you have to think up some exeedingly random maths equation and som realy complex wording for the answer that would just bewilder them lol

[Farsight]

Here's a nice easy answer. You'll like this one, guys!

 

:eek_big:

 

The sky is blue because it's like during the day we're kinda near the bottom of a rainbow, only it's more like an airbow that fills the whole sky. But at dusk we've moved up, and the sky looks kinda yellow or orange or red. Now and then if you're lucky you can see a bit of green.