Rearview Mirror Rainbow: An Optics Investigation

• Jennifer Birriel ^[1] ; Ignacio Birrie ^[1]
  1. [1] Morehead State University

     Morehead State University

     Estados Unidos

     
• Localización: The Physics Teacher, ISSN 0031-921X, Vol. 58, Nº. 3, 2020, págs. 164-166
• Idioma: inglés
• Texto completo no disponible (Saber más ...)
• Resumen

  • When driving on a sunny day, one can sometimes observe a small solar spectrum in the rearview mirror of a vehicle. The formation of this “rainbow” results from the prism-like structure of the rearview mirror. Our investigation of this phenomenon reveals that the resulting spectrum is formed in a manner similar to the way a rainbow is formed by a water droplet. We suggest a demonstration that you can perform so that your students can observe this phenomenon. All that is required is a sunny day, a ring stand, a clamp holder, and rearview mirror.