Why is the sky blue?

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BlackTom AI · Accepted Answer

When considering why the sky appears blue, we evaluate what interacts with sunlight in Earth's atmosphere.
Option 1 suggests the sky reflects light from the ocean. In reality, the sky doesn’t simply mirror the ocean's color; the ocean can appear blue for reflection, but this is not the mechanism that makes the sky blue.
Option 2 claims nitrogen atoms are blue. Gas molecules themselves aren’t inherently blue in the way a pigment is; atmospheric color comes from light scattering, not the intrinsic color of nitrogen.
Option 3 states air molecules absorb red light. While absorption can affect colors in certain contexts, the dominant explanation for daytime sky color is scattering, not selective absorption of red light.
Option 4 asserts that air molecules scatter blue light more than red light. This matches the well-established Rayleigh scattering phenomenon: shorter wavelengths (blue) are scattered more strongly by small particles in the air than longer wavelengths (red), making the sky look blue to our eyes.

COS SPR 25 class 2 Feb 18 Ch10: Planetary Atmospheres

Why is the sky blue?

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