Related Experiment Video
Updated: Mar 19, 2026
11:57
Measuring Spatially- and Directionally-varying Light Scattering from Biological Material
Published on: May 20, 2013
14.0K
Summary
Cloud iridescence, similar to atmospheric coronas, results from sunlight scattering by water droplets. This study estimates droplet size by analyzing cloud iridescence, revealing how size variations create colorful bands.
Area of Science:
- Atmospheric optics
- Cloud physics
Background:
- Cloud iridescence and atmospheric coronas share origins in near-forward scattering of sunlight.
- Both phenomena involve light interaction with water droplets, with coronas attributed to uniform droplet sizes and iridescence appearing as colored bands on clouds.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the relationship between droplet size and the appearance of iridescence in clouds.
- To develop methods for estimating water droplet radius (r) in iridescent clouds by determining the scattering angle (θ).
Main Methods:
- Utilized indirect techniques to ascertain the Sun's relative position, thus determining the scattering angle (θ).
- Applied Mie theory to analyze the complex relationship between droplet radius (r), scattering angle (θ), and near-forward light scattering.
- Estimated droplet radius (r) at various points within iridescent clouds.
Main Results:
- Successfully determined the scattering angle (θ) for iridescent clouds by locating the Sun's position indirectly.
- Demonstrated that variations in water droplet radius (r) are the cause of the narrow, colored bands observed in cloud iridescence.
- Provided estimates of droplet radius (r) across different regions of the clouds.
Conclusions:
- The study confirms that variations in water droplet size are the primary driver of the colorful bands seen in cloud iridescence.
- Indirectly determining the Sun's position is a viable method for analyzing cloud iridescence and estimating droplet characteristics.
- Understanding droplet size variations enhances our knowledge of light scattering phenomena in the atmosphere.
More Related Videos
05:41Photochemical Oxidative Growth of Iridium Oxide Nanoparticles on CdSe@CdS Nanorods
Published on: February 11, 2016
10.2K
08:40Separation of Spinach Thylakoid Protein Complexes by Native Green Gel Electrophoresis and Band Characterization using Time-Correlated Single Photon Counting
Published on: February 14, 2019
8.8K
Related Concept Videos
01:19IR Spectrum
3.1K
When infrared (IR) radiation passes through a molecule, the bonds stretch or bend by absorbing the radiation. This absorption creates the molecule's absorption spectrum, which is the plot of its percentage transmittance versus wavenumber.
Transmittance is defined as the ratio of the radiant power passing through a sample to that from the radiation's source. Multiplying the transmittance by 100 gives the percent transmittance (%T), which varies between 100% (no absorption) and 0%...
Transmittance is defined as the ratio of the radiant power passing through a sample to that from the radiation's source. Multiplying the transmittance by 100 gives the percent transmittance (%T), which varies between 100% (no absorption) and 0%...
3.1K
01:03IR Frequency Region: Fingerprint Region
2.2K
IR spectra are divided into two main regions: the diagnostic region and the fingerprint region. The diagnostic region of the spectrum lies above 1500 cm−1. The absorptions resulting from single-bond vibrations of the N–H, C–H, and O–H stretch at higher wavenumbers and appear on the left side of the spectrum. The stretching absorptions of the C≡C and C≡N occur between 2100–2300 cm−1. In contrast, those arising from stretching absorptions of the...
2.2K
01:24Color Vision
1.9K
Color perception begins in the retina, the light-sensitive layer at the back of the eye. Two main theories explain how colors are seen: the trichromatic theory and the opponent-process theory. The trichromatic theory, proposed by Thomas Young in 1802 and extended by Hermann von Helmholtz in 1852, suggests that color vision is based on three types of cone receptors in the retina. These cones are sensitive to different but overlapping ranges of wavelengths corresponding to red, blue, and green.
1.9K
01:23IR Spectrum Peak Broadening: Hydrogen Bonding
2.1K
The vibrational frequency of a bond is directly proportional to its bond strength. As a result, stronger bonds vibrate at higher frequencies, while weaker bonds vibrate at lower frequencies. The stretching vibration of the strong O–H bond in alcohols and phenols (very dilute solution or gas phase) appears as a sharp peak at 3600–3650 cm−1.
However, the extent of hydrogen bonding influences the observed stretching frequency and band broadening. Intermolecular or intramolecular...
However, the extent of hydrogen bonding influences the observed stretching frequency and band broadening. Intermolecular or intramolecular...
2.1K
00:55IR Spectrum Peak Intensity: Amount of IR-Active Bonds
1.3K
When infrared radiation is passed through a molecule, absorption occurs if the molecule's vibration leads to a substantial change in its bond dipole moment. Transitions between vibrational energy levels, typically corresponding to infrared frequencies (4000–400 cm−1), allow absorption if the vibration significantly alters the dipole moment, making the molecule infrared active. The molecular bonds have different stretching and bending vibrations, resulting in various peaks with...
1.3K
01:01Energy Bands in Solids
2.3K
Isolated atoms have discrete energy levels that are well described by the Bohr model. And, it quantifies the energy of an electron in a hydrogen atom as En. Higher quantum numbers 'n' yield less negative, closer electron energy levels.
Band Formation:
When atoms are brought close together, as in a solid, these discrete energy levels begin to split due to the overlap of electron orbitals from adjacent atoms. This split occurs because of the Pauli exclusion principle, which states...
Band Formation:
When atoms are brought close together, as in a solid, these discrete energy levels begin to split due to the overlap of electron orbitals from adjacent atoms. This split occurs because of the Pauli exclusion principle, which states...
2.3K