Question

When sunlight is scattered by atmospheric atoms and molecules the amount of scattering of light of wavelength 880 nm is \( A \). Then, the amount of scattering of light of wavelength 330 nm is approximately

• A. 10A
• B. 20A
• C. 40A
• D. 50.5A

Hint:

The scattering of light by particles is inversely proportional to the fourth power of the wavelength.

Answer 1

The Correct Option is C

The scattering of light follows a \( \lambda^{-4} \) dependence, where \( \lambda \) is the wavelength of the light. Thus, the ratio of the scattering intensities for the two wavelengths is \( \left(\frac{880}{330}\right)^4 \), giving approximately 40 times the scattering for the shorter wavelength.