What creates a rainbow?

Sunlight refracted and reflected inside raindrops

Rainbows Trivia: 10 Questions With Answers

This rainbows trivia covers how sunlight refracts and reflects in raindrops, the order of colors, double rainbows, Alexander's dark band, supernumerary bows, moonbows, fogbows and circular rainbows. Ten questions with answers on nature's colorful arcs.

Start Rainbows Trivia

🎯 Daily Trivia Challenge • 🧠 10 Questions • ⏱️ 150 Seconds

Question 1 / 10 Time: 150s

Cause
What creates a rainbow?
Position
Where must the Sun be to see a rainbow?
Order
Which color is on the outside of a primary rainbow?
Newton
Who named seven colors in the rainbow?
Double
How are colors arranged in a secondary rainbow?
Band
What is the dark area between a double rainbow called?
Moon
What is a rainbow made by moonlight called?
Fog
What is a fogbow?
Circle
Where can you sometimes see a full circular rainbow?
Angle
At about what angle does a primary rainbow appear?

Explanations: answer key for all 10 questions

Q1: What creates a rainbow?
Answer: Sunlight refracted and reflected inside raindrops
Each color bends differently.
Q2: Where must the Sun be to see a rainbow?
Answer: Behind you
Rainbows appear opposite the Sun.
Q3: Which color is on the outside of a primary rainbow?
Answer: Red
Violet is on the inside.
Q4: Who named seven colors in the rainbow?
Answer: Isaac Newton
He chose seven partly to match musical notes.
Q5: How are colors arranged in a secondary rainbow?
Answer: Reversed
Light reflects twice inside drops.
Q6: What is the dark area between a double rainbow called?
Answer: Alexander's band
It is named after Alexander of Aphrodisias.
Q7: What is a rainbow made by moonlight called?
Answer: Moonbow
It usually looks white to our eyes.
Q8: What is a fogbow?
Answer: A pale rainbow in fog
Tiny droplets make it almost white.
Q9: Where can you sometimes see a full circular rainbow?
Answer: From an airplane
The ground usually hides the bottom.
Q10: At about what angle does a primary rainbow appear?
Answer: About 42 degrees
Every observer sees their own rainbow.

Rainbows Trivia – Arcs of Color

Rainbows appear when sunlight shines into raindrops. Light bends as it enters each drop, reflects off the back and bends again on the way out, splitting into colors because each wavelength bends a slightly different amount.

To see a rainbow, the Sun must be behind you and rain in front. A primary rainbow has red on the outside, while a fainter secondary rainbow above it has reversed colors. The sky between them looks darker, called Alexander's band.

Rainbows come in many forms: moonbows at night, fogbows in mist and full circles seen from airplanes. Every person sees a slightly different rainbow, since it depends on the angle between the viewer, the Sun and the drops.

What This Quiz Teaches

This quiz is for students learning about rainbows.

What makes rainbows
Where to look
What color order is
What double rainbows show
What moonbows are

Did You Know?

Hawaii is famous for rainbows.
Rainbows can appear in waterfall spray.
Glories are rings around shadows on clouds.
Twinned rainbows are very rare.
Victoria Falls shows lunar rainbows.