Rainbows

This passage discusses how rainbows are formed.

Lexile Level: 390L

Categories: Science & Technology Animals & Nature

A rainbow shows different colors. Rainbows are pretty. They are arcs. An arc is curved. Rainbows come in different sizes. Some can be very big. A rainbow has bands of color. Rainbows usually appear after a thunderstorm. The sun must be shining for a rainbow to appear. The sun can't be too high in the sky. Also, the person's eye has to be lined up right. Otherwise, the rainbow can't be seen. Rainbows appear opposite the sun. So, a person has to be looking in the opposite direction from the sun to see it. Rainbows happen when sunlight shines through water droplets. Mist is still in the air after a brief thunderstorm. Sunlight shines through the mist. Then, a rainbow can form. The water in the air refracts the sunlight. That means the light waves break up. It can then become other colors.