Unit: Human Eye

Q1: Why do stars twinkle? gases present in the atmosphere scatter

this light. Since wavelength of red colour is
Ans: The appearance of twinkling of stars
large than the wavelength of others colours
is due to atmospheric refraction. As the
in sunlight , so red colour is scattered least,
stars are very far away, they appear as a
violet colour is scattered most, followed by
point source of light. The atmosphere is
blue, green, yellow, orange and red colours
made of several layers and the refractive
respectively. Our eye is more sensitive to
indices which keep on changing
blue light than the violet light . Therefore,
continuously. Due to this path of light rays
scattered light in the sky contains blue
from the star keep on changing their path
colour in plenty and hence the clear sky
continuously. Apparent position of star goes
appears blue.
on changing shown in Fig (a). So
sometimes star appears brighter and at
some time fainter. Thus, star twinkle.

Fig(b):sunset or sunrise appear reddish

Q4: Why are danger signals being red in

colour?
Fig(a):Twinkling star
Ans: When light falls on signal, all colours
Q2: Why at sunset or sunrise appear are scattered are much more than that of
reddish? red colour. So, the red colour suffering least
Ans: At the time of sunrise or sunset, the scattering remains confined1 (meaning
position of the sun is very far away from us. restricted) around signal, which in turn
The sunlight travels longer distance through illuminates2 (meaning bright) the signal
atmosphere of the earth before reaching our significantly. Thus, danger signals can be
eyes. Scattering of blue light is more than seen from far distance. Moreover, among
scattering of red light shown in fig (b). As a all colours , red light is scattered least by
result of this, more red light reaches our smoke or fog. Hence, red signals are visible
eyes than any other colour. Hence sunset even through smoke or fog.
and sunrise appear red . Q5: Explain why the planets do not
Q3: Why is the colour of clear sky blue? twinkle?

Ans: When sunlight enters the earth’s Ans: Planets are much closer to the earth
atmosphere, the atoms or molecules of and are seen are extended light source. So,

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Unit: Human Eye
a planet may be considered as a collection Planets don’t twinkle: same Q5
of a large number of a point sized light
sources. Although light coming from
individual point sized sources flickers but
the total amount of light entering our eye
from all individual sources average out to
be constant. Therefore, planets appear
equally bright and there is no twinkling of
planets.
Q6: Why does the sun appear reddish early
in the morning? Fig(c):sun appear reddish

Or Q8: Why is it difficult to drive on a foggy

Why does the sun not appear reddish at day?
noon? Ans: On a foggy day, most of the light gets
Ans: During sunrise, the sun is situated scattered by the particles in the fog and
near horizon. The light rays coming from the visibility reduces, so it is dangerous to
the Sun have to travel a greater distance drive on a foggy day.
in the earth’s atmosphere before Q9: No rainbow could be observed from the
reaching our eyes. In this journey, the surface of the moon by astronauts . Give
shorter wavelengths of lights are scattered reason.
out and only longer wavelengths are able
to reach our eyes(shown in fig(c)). Since Ans: The moon does not have blankets of
blue colour has a shorter wavelength and air or atmosphere and in the absence of
red colour has a longer wavelength, the red water droplets , no dispersion of sun ray is
colour is able to reach our eyes after the possible. Therefore, the rainbow could not
atmospheric scattering of light. be observed from the surface of moon by
Therefore, the Sun appears reddish early in astronauts.
the morning.
Q10: What is meant by near point and far
Q7: How does refraction take place in the point of an eye. State their values of normal
atmosphere? Why do stars twinkle but not human eye.
the planets?
Ans: The nearest point to the eye at which
Ans: When sunlight enters the earth’s an object is visible distinctly is called the
atmosphere, it continuously goes from near point(25cm). The maximum distance
rarer to denser medium and hence upto which normal eye can see things is
refraction of light takes place in the called far point (infinity)
atmosphere is known as atmospheric Q11: Why there is no dispersion of light
refraction.
refracted through a rectangular glass slab.
Stars twinkle on a clear night: same Q1
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Unit: Human Eye
Ans: After refraction at two parallel faces of Q16: The sky appears dark due to
a glass slab , ray of light emerges in a passengers flying at a very high altitude.
direction parallel to the direction of Why?
incidence of white light. As rays of all
Ans: Due to lack of atmosphere, scattering
colours emerge in the same direction , i.e.
is not prominent.
the direction of incidence of white light,
there is no dispersion. However, there is Q17: Explain natural phenomena advanced
lateral displacement. sunrise and advanced sunset.
Q12: Why does sky appear dark is space? Ans Sunrise and sunset is actually the
crossing of horizon by the sun. The
Ans: When a beam of light strikes such fine
advanced sunrise and delayed sunset is due
particles, the path of the beam becomes
to atmospheric refraction. The difference
visible. It is because in space there are no
between the actual sunrise and apparent
air molecules to scatter light.
sunrise is two minutes . Likewise, the
Q13: Is the position of a star as seen by us difference between the actual sunset and
its true position? Justify your answer. actual sunset is two minutes . The
flattering of sun’s disc is also due to this
Ans: No, what is seen by us not the true
phenomenon.
position of the star. In fact, star seen higher
than they actually are on account of
atmospheric refraction.
Q14: Why do we see a rainbow in the sky
only after rainfall.
Ans: We see a rainbow in the sky only after
rainfall due to dispersion of sunlight by Q18: How will you use two identical prisms
tiny water droplets, present in the so that a narrow beam of white light
atmosphere. The water droplets act like incident on one prism emerges out of the
small prisms. They refract and disperse second prism as white light. draw the
the incident sunlight, then reflect it diagram
internally and finally refract it again Ans: Angle of deflections of two prisms
when it comes out of raindrop and hence need to be equal and opposite. While first
due to dispersion of light and internal prism splits the light in seven colours due
reflection , different colours the observer’s to different angles of deflection, the second
eye. prism combines the spectrum along a
Q15: Name the types of particles which acts single ray and the colours again combine
as a prism in the formation of rainbow in to give white light as emergent light.
sky.
Ans: Water droplets present in
atmosphere.

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Unit: Human Eye