rainbows

[tommy666]

how and why does the light from the millions of raindrops collect into one rainbow? confusion:

millions of raindrops = 1 rainbow

i could understand it if you just had some HUUGE raindrop, and the light refracted inside it and split into the different colours etc etc, cos they you would have big thing of coloured light, split in2 the individual colours. but why isnt there 1 mini rainbow for each raindrop? how does the light that passes through each drop collect into one big rainbow? what makes it do this?

ty

[mibn2cweus]

The colour reflected back too you from a given drop of rain in the rainbow depends on the angle formed by you, the raindrop and the source of the light; typically the sun.

The raindrops which lie at a specific angle between you and the sun will refract and reflect the same colour of light.

When you move you change the relationship of the angle between you the raindrops and the sun so the rainbow moves with you.

If a rainbow persists over a period of time you will observe it changing in position as the sun rises/sets.