Deck 16: Optical Phenomena of the Atmosphere

Question 1

A mirage that changes the apparent size of an object is called:

A) towering.
B) looming.
C) dispersion.
D) magnification.

Answer 1

A

Question 2

A green flash occurs because:

A) ice crystals diffract the green light.
B) green light is scattered more during sunrise.
C) green light is bent more than red and orange light.
D) red and orange light is absorbed by the atmosphere.

Answer 2

green light is bent more than red and orange light.

Question 3

Iridescent clouds are created by the process of:

A) reflection.
B) scattering.
C) refraction.
D) diffraction.

Answer 3

D

Question 4

The property of light that causes your arm to look bent when it is submerged in water is called:

A) refraction.
B) dispersion.
C) interference.
D) diffraction.
E) reflection.

Question 5

When light passes from water into air, it bends:

A) away from the perpendicular.
B) more slowly.
C) at a 45° angle to the surface of the water.
D) towards the perpendicular.

Question 6

Which of these is most important for splitting the Sun's light into its separate colors?

A) internal reflection
B) diffraction
C) reflection
D) refraction
E) interference

Question 7

Halos:

A) are actually invisible.
B) come in four sizes.
C) are usually red.
D) are formed by six- sided crystals.

Question 8

Why do rainbows have a curved shape?

A) Water molecules are circular.
B) The Sun is a spherical body.
C) The earth is circular.
D) The optical process is circularly symmetrical around the path of the sunlight.

Question 9

A smooth piece of paper:

A) is rough enough to scatter light in all directions.
B) reflects all light in the same direction.
C) refracts light.
D) reflects light uniformly.

Question 10

Coronas can be easily distinguished from 22^○halos because:

A) they do not have clearly identifiable rings.
B) the color sequence is reversed, with the bluish- white color on the inside.
C) they only occur when it is raining.
D) they never occur around the moon.

Question 11

The desert vision of palm trees reflected in water is usually not reality but an example of:

A) a superior mirage.
B) looming.
C) a lunar glory.
D) an inferior mirage.

Question 12

Early explorers in the polar regions often reported seeing mountains that didn't really exist. They probably were witnessing ________instead.

A) looming
B) the glory
C) Fata Morgana
D) inferior mirages

Question 13

Which of these are the primary optical phenomena causing a rainbow?

A) diffraction, reflection
B) reflection, interference
C) dispersion, interference
D) refraction, reflection
E) reflection, diffraction

Question 14

Superior mirages appear_______ the observed object, and inferior mirages appear _________.

A) smaller than; larger
B) above; below
C) below; above
D) larger than; smaller

Question 15

Internal reflection is an appropriate process in creating which type of optical phenomenon?

A) a rainbow
B) a superior mirage
C) a halo
D) an inferior mirage

Question 16

The law of_____________ states that the angle of incidence is equal to the angle of reflection.

A) refraction
B) light
C) interference
D) reflection

Question 17

Which of these atmospheric properties is most important concerning whether mirages will be seen?

A) visibility
B) temperature change with height
C) wind speed
D) barometric pressure
E) humidity

Question 18

_________occurs when cold air near the surface bends light in the same direction as the Earth's curvature, causing the object to appear suspended above the horizon.

A) Fata Morgana
B) Towering
C) Aurora borealis
D) Looming

Question 19

A secondary rainbow:

A) is above the primary rainbow.
B) has a broader band of colors.
C) is formed from ice, not water.
D) is brighter than the primary rainbow.
E) is typically seen in the early afternoon, not in the morning.

Question 20

A _________ is one of the few optical phenomena more frequently observed with the moon than the sun.

A) pillar
B) green flash
C) halo
D) corona

Question 21

The ___ is produced by refraction caused by ice crystals.

A) glory
B) corona
C) rainbow
D) halo

Question 22

A mirage will appear to be looming when:

A) it appear smaller than the actual object.
B) there is a strong temperature inversion.
C) air is very unstable.
D) there is a strong negative lapse rate.

Question 23

If light enters a transparent medium at a right angle (perpendicular), what change occurs to the light?

A) Only its velocity is changed.
B) Only its direction is changed.
C) Both its direction and velocity are altered.
D) It is reflected rather than entering the medium.

Question 24

The angle of incidence is equal to the angle of:

A) dispersion.
B) diffraction.
C) refraction.
D) reflection.
E) interference.

Question 25

Red light travels the______ and is therefore bent the_______.

A) slowest; least
B) fastest; most
C) slowest; most
D) fastest; least

Question 26

The speed of light in water is:

A) fastest for red light.
B) fastest for violet light.
C) fastest for blue light.
D) same for all colors.
E) fastest for ultraviolet light.

Question 27

Before sunlight interacts with the atmosphere, it is this color.

A) violet
B) red
C) blue
D) white
E) yellow

Question 28

A looming mirage appears to be:

A) larger than the actual object.
B) closer than the actual object.
C) suspended above the actual object.
D) below the actual object.

Question 29

Mirages:

A) only occur in the desert.
B) are known as superior mirages when an object appears higher than it really is.
C) appear most often in air with a small temperature gradient.
D) are caused by the reflection of light.

Question 30

Earth's atmosphere is able to gradually refract light rays:

A) only when it is very dry.
B) only when the sun is very high in the sky.
C) because of the changing density of air as you get closer to the surface.
D) because of air pollution that is present.

Question 31

The "wet area" or water surface mirage as seen on a highway occurs when:

A) air density is low.
B) air pressure is high.
C) humidity is high.
D) an inversion is present.
E) temperature lapse rate is large.

Question 32

Which of the following colors is never found in the interior of a rainbow?

A) blue
B) red
C) orange
D) green

Question 33

When light is refracted, the degree of bending is determined in part by:

A) the total change in velocity as the light passes from one medium to the next.
B) the temperature of the refracting medium.
C) the distance the light has traveled from its source.
D) the length of time the light takes to travel through the refracting medium.

Question 34

When sunlight interacts with a raindrop to produce a rainbow, how many refractive events occur for each drop?

A) 2
B) 42
C) 1
D) zero

Question 35

In terms of the process of formation, which one of the following optical phenomena is unlike the other three?

A) sun dog
B) mirage
C) halo
D) solar pillar

Question 36

If you see large towers or mountains that seem to appear out of thin air, you are probably witnessing:

A) Fata Morgana.
B) looming.
C) glory.
D) inferior mirage.

Question 37

The speed of light in space (between the Sun and Earth) is:

A) fastest for ultraviolet light.
B) fastest for violet light.
C) fastest for blue light.
D) fastest for red light.
E) same for all colors.

Question 38

Why don't halos display the colors of a rainbow?

A) Ice crystals are not transparent.
B) Reflection does not occur with a halo.
C) Refraction does not occur with a halo.
D) The shape and size of ice crystals are not uniform.

Question 39

In order to see a rainbow, an observer must ______the Sun and _________the rain.

A) face; have his back to
B) face; face
C) have his back to; have his back to
D) have his back to; face

Question 40

The _____forms in association with the Moon as well as the Sun.

A) sun dog
B) glory
C) halo
D) rainbow

Question 41

Secondary rainbows result from:

A) temperature inversions.
B) more cloud drops being present.
C) multiple reflections inside the raindrops.
D) drops being very small.

Question 42

We are able to see the sun for several minutes AFTER it has slipped below the horizon because:

A) our eyes are able to recognize internal reflection.
B) we are unable to perceive light bending.
C) Actually, we can't see the sun once it is below the horizon.
D) ice crystals have diffracted the light.

Question 43

A 46° halo results instead of a 22° halo when:

A) light passes through the side of an ice crystal and exits through the opposite side.
B) light is refracted by liquid water droplets rather than frozen ice crystals.
C) light reflects off of the side of ice crystals rather than passing through them.
D) light passes through the side of an ice crystal but exits through the base or the top.

Question 44

Mirages are caused by:

A) variations in air density.
B) scattering of sunlight.
C) diffraction of sunlight.
D) reflection of sunlight.

Question 45

If you want to see the glory from the surface of the Earth, which conditions must be met?

A) You must be near a body of water when the sun is low on the horizon.
B) You must be viewing a halo when the sun is rising.
C) You must be above a bank of fog or clouds with the sun at your back.
D) It is impossible to see the glory from the ground; you must be on an airplane.

Question 46

A layer of very warm, low density air near the surface causes light to:

A) reflect at a higher angle off of the surface.
B) bend in a curve opposite that of the Earth.
C) bend in a curve that follows the curvature of the Earth's surface.
D) separate into its various color components.

Question 47

Rainbows are always seen with the Sun:

A) to your right.
B) to your left.
C) ahead of you.
D) behind you.
E) 42 degrees above the horizon.

Question 48

Which optical process is most important in causing the corona?

A) dispersion
B) absorption
C) reflection
D) refraction
E) diffraction

Question 49

The highway ahead of you appears "wet" on days when:

A) light passes through colder air aloft into very warm air near the surface.
B) light is refracted through the windshields of other cars.
C) water vapor in the atmosphere reflects incoming light.
D) light is refracted by very cold air near the surface.

Question 50

The interpretation of a halo around the Moon as a sign of impending rain (or snow) stems from:

A) halos being present only when clouds are thick.
B) the geometry of the Moon's size and distance.
C) a false weather proverb.
D) the association of cirrus clouds with cyclonic storms.

Question 51

Mirages result from which of these optical processes?

A) interference
B) reflection
C) dispersion
D) refraction
E) diffraction

Question 52

A green flash appears when:

A) there is a rainstorm in progress.
B) the sun is just rising or setting.
C) light is refracted around the edges of clouds.
D) there is a temperature inversion present.

Question 53

When light encounters a rough surface, the rays will strike the surface at______ angle(s), which tends to _________the light rays.

A) different; scatter
B) one; scatter
C) one; limit
D) different; limit

Question 54

Violet- colored light travels at the ______rate and is therefore refracted the_________ .

A) slowest; least
B) fastest; least
C) fastest; most
D) slowest; most

Question 55

Light bends because of a change in the:

A) amplitude.
B) velocity.
C) temperature.
D) weight.

Question 56

Halos result from ice crystals with a ______orientation, while sun dogs are created by ice crystals with a______ orientation.

A) random; vertical
B) horizontal; circular
C) circular; horizontal
D) vertical; random

Question 57

The separation of colors by refraction is called:

A) glory.
B) dispersion.
C) looming.
D) towering.

Question 58

The_______ is not often seen by earthbound observers.

A) corona
B) rainbow
C) halo
D) glory
E) sun dog

Question 59

Reflection, refraction and diffraction all cause light to change its:

A) color.
B) intensity.
C) direction.
D) frequency.

Question 60

_______occurs when light that is traveling through a transparent material reaches the opposite surface and is reflected back into the transparent material.

A) Internal reflection
B) External refraction
C) External reflection
D) Internal refraction

Question 61

Why are mirages generally associated with either very hot surface temperatures or very cold surface temperatures?

Question 62

Sun dogs create the appearance of:

A) shimmering water on the horizon.
B) a rainbow around the observer's shadow.
C) two "mock suns" on the outer rim of a halo.
D) a ring around the sun.

Question 63

A type of mirage in which towering castles appear out of thin air is called a(n) .

Question 64

These vertical shafts of light are created by slowly falling crystals of ice.

Question 65

What well- known person is credited with explaining how the colors of the rainbow are produced using a prism?

Question 66

Usually ______color bands can be observed in a rainbow.

Question 67

A rainbow in the morning signifies weather approaching because:

A) a rainbow forms during the mature phase of a thunderstorm.
B) a rainbow only occurs when air is very unstable.
C) weather moves from west to east, and you must be between the rising sun and the rain to see the rainbow.
D) you must have the sun between you and the storm to see a rainbow.

Question 68

Your mind's interpretation that light travels only in straight lines is an important part of explaining mirages.

Question 69

Usually seen near sunrise or sunset in association with falling ice crystals, _ are vertical shafts of light that appear to extend upward from the Sun.

A) perihelion
B) Fata Morgana
C) sun dogs
D) sun pillars

Question 70

You will not be able to see a rainbow if the Sun is greater than ° above the horizon.

Question 71

Why are halos and sun dogs associated with cirrus clouds and rainbows with cumulus clouds?

Question 72

________light allows you to see yourself in a mirror.

A) Reflected
B) Infrared
C) Iridescent
D) Refracted

Question 73

Light will gradually bend due changes in velocity and density.

Question 74

Diffraction occurs when light:

A) strikes ice crystals at a 90° angle.
B) reflects more than twice inside a water droplet.
C) passes close to tiny water droplets.
D) passes through both liquid droplets and ice crystals.

Question 75

When a mirage appears below the true location of the observed object, it is called a(n)______mirage.

Question 76

Clouds that refract sunlight or moonlight and take on bright violet, green, and pink colors are called:

A) iridescent clouds.
B) sprites.
C) the glory.
D) coronal clouds.

Question 77

This type of cloud is most often present when halos form.

Question 78

A superior mirage is seen above its true position.

Question 79

The phenomenon that results from the speed of light changing as it passes into different substances is:

A) reflection.
B) refraction.
C) interference.
D) internal reflection.
E) diffraction.

Question 80

The________ usually appears in conjunction with a halo.

A) corona
B) sun dog
C) glory
D) rainbow