• Adventure
  • Auto
  • Culture
  • Entertainment
  • Home & Garden
  • Money
  • Science
  • Tech
  • Video
  • Shows
  • Blogs
  • Quizzes
  • Games
  • Random Article
  • Engineering
  • Environmental Science
  • Forces of Nature
  • Innovation
  • Life Science
  • Military
  • Physical Science
  • Dictionary
  • Science Vs. Myth
  • Space
  • Transportation
  • Zoology
  • Home / 
  • Science / 
  • Forces of Nature / 
  • Climate & Weather / 
  • Storms

More Stuff Like This

Watch awe-inspiring shows on TestTube.
Watch awe-inspiring shows on TestTube.
10 Awesome New Inventions You'll Never Hear About
10 Awesome New Inventions You'll Never Hear About
10 Ways the World Will End
10 Ways the World Will End

How Rainbows Work

by Tom Harris

  • Page
  • 1
    Introduction to How Rainbows Work
  • 2
    Light Bends
  • 3
    Making a Rainbow
  • 4
    Lots More Information

    • Lots More Information

    Related Articles

    • How Light Works
    • How Vision Works
    • How the Sun Works
    • Why do CDs reflect rainbow colors?
    • How Mirages Work
    • What causes a rainbow?

    More Great Links

    • About Rainbows
    • The Physics of a Rainbow
    • Animation of Rainbow Principle
    • Rainbow Applet
    • ExploreScience.com: Virtual Prism
    Print
    Cite This!
    Close 
    Please copy/paste the following text to properly cite this HowStuffWorks article:

    Harris, Tom.  "How Rainbows Work"  28 May 2002.  HowStuffWorks.com. <http://science.howstuffworks.com/nature/climate-weather/storms/rainbow.htm>  25 May 2013.
    Cite
    Feedback
  • Page
  • 1
    Introduction to How Rainbows Work
  • 2
    Light Bends
  • 3
    Making a Rainbow
  • 4
    Lots More Information

    • More To Explore

    All Things Science

    10 Incredible Wind Power Facts
    10 Incredible Wind Power Facts
    10 Remarkable Exoplanets
    10 Remarkable Exoplanets
    Fact or Fiction: Earthquake Quiz
    Fact or Fiction: Earthquake Quiz
    Top 10 Things That Women Invented
    Top 10 Things That Women Invented
    Strange, Spooky, Scary: The Supernatural Quiz
    Strange, Spooky, Scary: The Supernatural Quiz
    Watch 100 Greatest Discoveries videos »

    You Might Also Like

    If the temperature is 30 degrees F, why do we sometimes get snow and other times get freezing rain?

    Precipitation can vary from rain to snow when the temperature is below freezing. Why does precipitation not always fall as snow when it's below freezing?

    What if I were struck by lightning?

    Being struck by lightning is a little more complicated than a sudden collision with a flash of light from the sky. How can someone survive such a jolt?

    Popular Articles

    • Abbe, Cleveland
    • Hurricane Destruction... Have We Only Just Begun?
    • 10 Most Destructive Storms
    • Most Popular
    • Most Watched

    • Most Popular

      • 10 ‘Healthy’ Things That Aren't
      • Quiz: How does color affect you?
      • Top 10 Innovations in TV Broadcasting
      • What is water boarding?
      • 10 Weird Inventions That Made Millions

    • Most Watched

      • How It's Made
      • Understanding Bridges Videos
      • How Do They Do It?
      • The Stuff of Genius
      • 100 Greatest Discoveries

    Don't Miss

    Introducing a bold lineup of awe-inspiring shows.
    Introducing a bold lineup of awe-inspiring shows.
    Look into the Future with Fw:Thinking
    Look into the Future with Fw:Thinking
    See Stuff You Should Know – videos, podcasts &amp; more!
    See Stuff You Should Know – videos, podcasts & more!

    CHECK OUT OUR PODCASTS

    STUFF NATION NEWSLETTER THE HOW BEHIND TODAY'S NEWS
    HOWSTUFFWORKS
    • Adventure
    • Auto
    • Culture
    • Entertainment
    • Health
    • Home & Garden
    • Lifestyle
    • Money
    • Science
    • Tech
    MORE STUFF
    • Blogs
    • Games
    • HSW Tools
    • RSS
    • Maps
    • Podcasts
    • Quizzes
    • Newsletters
    • Video
    OUR WEBSITES
    • Animal Planet
    • Animal Planet Live
    • Destination America
    • Discovery Channel
    • Discovery Fit & Health
    • HSW Brazil
    • HSW China HowStuffWorks China
    • Investigation Discovery
    • Oprah Winfrey Network
    • Revision3
    • Science Channel
    • StuffYouShouldKnow
    • TLC
    • Discovery Education
    • Discovery Retreats
    • Store
    CUSTOMER SERVICE
    • Advertising
    • Contact Us
    • Help
    CORPORATE
    • About Us
    • Careers @ Discovery
    • Privacy Policy
    • Visitor Agreement
    TAKE US WITH YOU
    FOLLOW US
    © 1998-2013 HowStuffWorks, Inc