Rayleigh scattering causing blue skies

AI Thread Summary
Rayleigh scattering explains why the sky appears blue, as shorter blue wavelengths are scattered more than other colors in the atmosphere. While all colors of white light enter the atmosphere, blue light is scattered in all directions, making it more prominent to our eyes. The perception of a blue sky occurs because the scattered blue light is more intense than the overlapping colors that remain unabsorbed. The overall effect is that the sky does not appear white, despite the presence of other colors, due to the dominance of the scattered blue light. Understanding the paths of different wavelengths from the sun to the observer clarifies this phenomenon.
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Homework Statement


The atmopshere allows all the colours of white light except the blue one and instead absorbs it. It is then scattered as blue light. However, I don't get why we would see it as blue. Won't the scattered light overlap all the other colours that were not refracted? So shouldn't the sky appear white?


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The Attempt at a Solution



The only reasoning is that the blue light is so much greater that even after overlapping the other unabsorbed colour of light (to make it white) there's still some excess. But this also doesn't make sense as the amount of blue waves will be equal to the other colours as white light enters our atmosphere.

Thanks for the help!
 
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Consider the paths taken by by different wavelengths from the sun to your eye. (What colour does the sun appear to be?)
 
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