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Science (086) — AI-generated practice question

AI-generated practice question — model-generated for extra practice, not a previous-year CBSE board question.

Q1. [1] medium exam-ready
A rainbow is always observed in the direction opposite to the Sun. Which set of optical phenomena is responsible for its formation?
  1. A Refraction and scattering
  2. B Dispersion, internal reflection and refraction
  3. C Reflection and diffraction
  4. D Scattering and total internal reflection
Generated by claude-sonnet-4-6 · 2026-06-26 01:07 · grounding rag
Model Answer

Answer: B — Dispersion, internal reflection and refraction

A rainbow is formed when water droplets refract and disperse sunlight, reflect it internally, and refract it again as light exits, separating colours (VIBGYOR) in the direction opposite to the Sun.

Source: Chapter 10, Section 10.4

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Explanation

The textbook explicitly states: "The water droplets act like small prisms. They refract and disperse the incident sunlight, then reflect it internally, and finally refract it again." This makes Option B the only correct combination. Scattering and diffraction are not involved in rainbow formation — don't confuse rainbow with sky colour (scattering) or shadow phenomena (diffraction).

Previous-year CBSE Grade 10 board exam questions, organised by subject and chapter, each with a model answer — free to read and print.