Question

what mechanism produces the iridescent pastel patches of pink, blue, or green often exhibited in cirrocumulus and altocumulus clouds?
a. refraction
b. dispersion
c. reflection
d. diffraction

Explanation:

The iridescent pastel patches in cirrocumulus and altocumulus clouds are caused by diffraction. Diffraction occurs when light waves interact with small particles in the clouds, causing the light to bend and spread out, resulting in the colorful effects. Refraction is the bending of light as it passes through a medium, dispersion is the separation of light into its component colors due to refraction, and reflection is the bouncing of light off a surface, none of which are the main mechanisms for cloud iridescence.

Answer:

d. diffraction