Power Point that explains the physics of a rainbow. What is a rainbow? What will affect if you see a rainbow or two? What do dispersion, refraction, and reflection have to do with rainbows?
Technical violations of parole, such as failing to inform a parole officer about a change in residence, contribute significantly to prison overcrowding. Evaluate the effectiveness of returning parolees to prison for technical violations. Should there be more leniency in handling these cases, or is strict enforcement necessary to maintain public safety and the integrity of the parole system? Discuss the benefits and problems associated with strict enforcement of technical violations, considering the potential impact on recidivism rates, prison overcrowding, and the successful reintegration of parolees into society. Be sure to include examples from the textbook in your answer.
Victims of violence by intimate partners and family. In your opinion, what are the key issues with this topic?
(Rituals of Strain, IPV, and Familicide) Our argument is that structural factors are often overlooked. After addressing that question, watch the video below. What is your opinion of this “tool” some police departments started using over a decade ago to ID domestic violence victims at greatest risk? What seem to be the advantages? What about disadvantages?
Sample Answer
The Physics of a Rainbow: A PowerPoint Outline
This outline provides the content and structure for a presentation explaining the physics of a rainbow, addressing all your questions.
Slide 1: Title Slide
Title: The Physics of a Rainbow: Light, Water, and Color
Subtitle: An Explanation of Dispersion, Refraction, and Reflection
Slide 2: What is a Rainbow?
A Rainbow is an Optical and Meteorological Phenomenon: It is not a physical object, but rather a spectrum of light that appears when the Sun shines onto water droplets in the atmosphere.
Key Ingredients:
Sunlight (White Light): The light source.
Water Droplets: Tiny spheres of water (rain or mist) suspended in the air.2
Specific Viewing Angle: The observer must have their back to the sun and be viewing the arc of light at a precise angle ($\approx 42^\circ$ for the primary bow).
Slide 3: The Three Key Processes
A rainbow is created by the interaction of light with a single raindrop, involving three distinct physical processes:3
Refraction (Entry): Light bends as it enters the water droplet.4
Reflection (Internal): Light bounces off the back inner surface of the droplet.
Dispersion (Separation): Different colors of light bend at slightly different angles.5
Slide 4: 1. Refraction: The Bending of Light
Definition: Refraction is the change in the direction of a wave as it passes from one medium to another (e.g., from air to water).6
In a Raindrop: Sunlight slows down and bends (refracts) as it moves from the less dense air into the more dense water droplet.7 This happens again when it exits the droplet.
Analogy: A car wheel hitting a patch of mud at an angle—one side slows down before the other, causing the car to turn.
Slide 5: 2. Dispersion: Separating the Colors
Definition: Dispersion is the splitting of white light into its constituent colors (the spectrum: Red, Orange, Yellow, Green, Blue, Indigo, Violet - ROYGBIV).
How it Works: The speed of light in water is slightly different for each wavelength (color).8 Violet light travels slower and bends the most, while Red light travels fastest and bends the least.9
Result: The white sunlight is fanned out into its spectrum inside the droplet.10
Slide 6: 3. Reflection: Directing Light Back
Definition: Reflection is the bouncing back of light when it hits a surface.
In a Raindrop: The dispersed light rays travel to the back interior surface of the spherical droplet, where they are internally reflected and sent back toward the observer.11
Summary: The sunlight enters (refraction + dispersion), bounces (reflection), and exits (refraction + dispersion) the droplet, separated by color.