Why does the clear sky appear blue?

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Blue light is absorbed in the atmosphere;

Ultraviolet radiations are absorbed in the atmosphere;

Violet and blue lights are scattered more than all other colors by the atmosphere;

All other colors are scattered more than violet and blue lights by the atmosphere.

answer is C.

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Detailed Solution

Concept: The wavelength of the light captured by our eyes through the retina determines the color perceived by our eyes.
The molecules in the atmosphere cause elastic scattering of sunlight as it travels through the atmosphere. Light with a shorter wavelength is more intensely received. As a result, we can conclude that only light with a short wavelength will be visible.
Light scattering is controlled as it travels through the atmosphere. As it travels through the layers of the atmosphere, daytime sunlight is absorbed and reemitted by nitrogen and oxygen molecules. The light is dispersed in all directions by the gas mixture. This light scattering is elastic because there is no energy absorption. As a result, it obeys Rayleigh's scattering rule, which is mathematically expressed as where I is the intensity of the dispersed light and is its wavelength. Human eyes perceive blue as having the lowest wavelength intensity of light distributed among all colors of light. Because it is clear, the sky appears blue.
Hence, the correct option is 3.

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