Which statement about Rayleigh scattering and frequency is true?

Which statement about Rayleigh scattering and frequency is true?

• A. The amount is unchanged by frequency
• B. Scattering Doubles If Frequency Doubles
• C. Doubling Frequency Halves Scattering
• D. Scattering Is Proportional to Frequency to the Fourth Power

Answer: (D)

Rayleigh scattering scales with how small the wavelength is compared to the scattering centers. For particles much smaller than the wavelength, the scattered intensity goes as 1/λ^4. Since frequency and wavelength are linked by f = c/λ, shorter wavelengths (higher frequencies) produce much more scattering, specifically proportional to f^4. So doubling the frequency increases scattering by 2^4 = 16, not just by a factor of 2 or remaining the same. This steep f^4 dependence explains why blue light (higher frequency, shorter wavelength) scatters much more than red light, giving the sky its characteristic color.

Rayleigh scattering scales with how small the wavelength is compared to the scattering centers. For particles much smaller than the wavelength, the scattered intensity goes as 1/λ^4. Since frequency and wavelength are linked by f = c/λ, shorter wavelengths (higher frequencies) produce much more scattering, specifically proportional to f^4. So doubling the frequency increases scattering by 2^4 = 16, not just by a factor of 2 or remaining the same. This steep f^4 dependence explains why blue light (higher frequency, shorter wavelength) scatters much more than red light, giving the sky its characteristic color.