MIT Physics Professor Walter Lewin Lectures on Rainbows

There are significant properties of physics going on when you see a double rainbow.

If you want to find out more about the physics properties, look up Professor Walter Lewin on Youtube. He was so popular for his lectures, they brought in a film crew for all versions of the physics course. Physics 1, 2 and 3 (801, 802, and 803). There are about 30 lectures in each level. I’ve watched them all!

There is one lecture during his course, and another one produced much later showing an older Lewin. Both lectures are just as scientifically correct.

In his Spring 2002, and the 10 years later in 2012, he focused his lectures on the discussion of the physics properties of rainbows.

He is known for one of his famous quotes from the series, “You’ve looked at rainbows, but you’ve really never seen them.”

Quick Overview

From what I recall, and after watching his lectures you will never look at a rainbow the same way, you will “see” them from now and forever forward.

First 1) See how the space inside the lower band is a bright white? 2) now notice the space between the lower and upper band is darker? 3) Notice the difference in the order of the colors of the lower band (top to bottom) red, to blue. and the upper band top to bottom is blue to red?

Then there are lots of things that need to be in place to actually see the rainbow 1) angle you view the water vapor/rain and 2) where the sun is in relation to the angle you look at the rainbow (behind ) and at a precise angle.

Anyway, I’ll end it here. I’ve looked up the links for both the 2002 and 2012 lectures and listed them below.

The 2002 lecture shows a younger, more peppy Walter Lewin but in a low quality video. The other lecture was recorded in 2012 and shows an older Lewin which has a higher, HD qualify recording. Both lectures are of course, scientifically precise.

Enjoy

(2002) https://youtu.be/6Hl7BLXq5vA
(2012) https://youtu.be/iKUSWJWMSk4