Answer to Question #193848 in Physics for Hahahahaha

Question

1. Why is the sky blue (usually 6am-4 pm) and indigo as the sun sets?

2. Why do we see a mirage on a road (usually the highway) during a hot sunny day?

physics to explain your answer.

Answer 1

1. The sky is blue because it scatters the wavelengths that correspond blue, indigo, and violet the most. However, our eyes are more sensitive to blue colors, not violet or indigo, that is why we perceive the sky as blue-colored. As the sun sets, the sensitivity of our eyes changes to black-white vision and we start perceiving more dark colors.

2. This happens because of total internal reflection. The air near the road is very hot and its refractive index is smaller than the refractive index of cooler air above the road. The rays of light from the sky experience the total internal reflection on hot-cold air surface and we see a mirage.