Science Secrets · Drawing 09 of 40
Where Did the Rainbow Come From?
Light and Sound
Sunlight contains many colours. Inside water droplets, light changes direction and separates into colours. Surprise: a rainbow appears!
Did you know?
When you see a rainbow, the Sun is behind you.
Look together
To see the rainbow, which way should this girl turn?
An idea to try
After a shower, look for a rainbow with an adult without looking at the Sun. Explain where the Sun and rain are.
For the adult reading along
A little more to discover
Refraction, internal reflection and dispersion in droplets explain the primary rainbow. The bands simplify a continuous spectrum; colouring choices remain free.
Sources and illustration notes (1)
Simplified scene and shapes. Models, imagined comparisons and enlargements do not preserve all real measurements.
These links lead to other websites. Explore them with an adult. References identify the institution and the related lesson; some linked pages are in French.
- Exploratorium: Lawn RainbowsSunlight contains all the colours of the rainbow; light bends and reflects inside raindrops, each colour at a slightly different angle; you see a rainbow with your back to the Sun.
Page prepared on October 12, 2026. Illustrations are simplified for colouring.
This drawing is from the book Science Secrets to Colour
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