in reply to How many colors does a rainbow have?
I think, if I remember my college physics on light, that theoretically it has an infinite number of colors...well...almost infinite.
It presents to the viewer all the frequencies that are in the light illuminating it that aren't obsorbed by the intervening atmosphere from the rainbow to the viewer.
That, of course, is not truly infinite...just a whole lot...way more than 10 which is the highest value in the survey except for 'other'. We just tend to 'see' the more limited banding which makes it seem like there are only a few colors.
On the other hand, when I look at a rainbow I rarely, if ever, am thinking about 'How many colors do I see?' I am thinking about how powerful, emotionally, the colors energize my feelings. Rainbows are a very powerful experience for me...quells the geekier sides of my personality. ;-)
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