Question

Atmospheric haze is due to water droplets or smoke particles (“smog”). Such haze reduces visibility by scattering light so that the light from distant objects becomes randomized and images become indistinct. Explain why visibility through haze can be improved by wearing red-tinted sunglasses, which filter out blue light.

Short answer

The visibility is improved due to the high scattering of blue light.

Step-by-step solution

(a) Concept of Scattering of light.

The scattering of light is a phenomenon that happens when light travels from one medium to another and some part of the light gets absorbed by the molecules only to be subsequently radiated in a particular direction.

(b) Explanation of the argument.

The colour red is the least scattered light among the VIBGYOR and so red-tinted glasses can help with visibility in haze. This is because the filtered blue light having high frequency is more prone to scattering and thus the visibility is improved.