After rain, when the sun comes out behind you, you may see a rainbow. Its colors always come in the same order: red, orange, yellow, green, blue and violet (violet is a kind of purple).
Key idea
A rainbow goes red, orange, yellow, green, blue, violet, with red on the outside edge.
Why it works
Sunlight looks white, but it is made of all these colors mixed together. Raindrops spread the light out, and the colors always line up in the same order.
Worked example: Let's look
Which color comes right after yellow in a rainbow?
- Say the order: red, orange, yellow...
- The next color is green.
Answer: Green.
Common mistake
Some children color a rainbow in any order. A real rainbow never changes its order. Start with red on the outside and work your way in.
For the grown-up. A handy way to remember the order is a made-up name, "Roy G. Biv" (red, orange, yellow, green, blue, indigo, violet). Many older books list indigo, a deep blue-violet, between blue and violet; this course keeps six colors for young eyes.