Which of the following phenomena contributes significantly to the reddish appearance of the sun at sunrise or sunset?

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Dispersion of light

Scattering of light

Total internal reflection of light

Reflection of light from the earth

answer is B.

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Detailed Solution

Scattering of light contributes significantly to the reddish appearance of the sun at sunrise or sunset.
When white light from the sun enters the Earth's atmosphere, it is scattered or spread in all directions by dust particles, free water molecules, and gas molecules present in the atmosphere. This is called light scattering.
The sun's rays must travel a considerable distance through the Earth's atmosphere before reaching the predawn field of view. Short-wavelength light is diffused during this movement, so only long-wavelength light reaches the eye. Blue has a short wavelength, and red has a long wavelength, so red reaches the eye after the light is scattered by the atmosphere. As a result, the early morning sun appears reddish.

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