The blue color of the sky is due to
A) selective scattering of visible light by air molecules.
B) the filtering effect of water vapor in the earth's atmosphere.
C) reflection of sunlight off the earth's oceans.
D) transmission of visible light through the ozone layer in the earth's stratosphere.

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

The blue color of the sky is due to the selective scattering of visible light by air molecules, a phenomenon known as Rayleigh scattering. The shorter blue wavelengths of light are scattered more than the longer red wavelengths, causing the sky to appear blue to our eyes. This is why the sky appears reddish during sunrise and sunset when the light has to travel through more of the atmosphere, causing more scattering of the blue light and leaving more of the longer red wavelengths to be visible.

The Blue Color of the Sky Is Due to