Black Oil - Why Does It Appear All Colors?

[Marilena1983]

Black oil - colours?

1. How does black oil on a windscreen appear to be all colours?



2. Is it because black absorbs all frequencies of light?



3. I'm not sure how to answer this question can anyone help?

 

[mgb_phys]

It's nothing to do with the color of the oil
hint - look up interference

 

[Marilena1983]

does this make sense?

the oil it acts like a thin film. The light of different wavelengths (colors) refract and reflect at different angles, and the reflections add up or cancel each other out by superposition depending on the wavelength and angle.

 

[mgb_phys]

Yes - but do you understand that or did you just cat&paste it from wiki?

 

[Marilena1983]

its an explanation someone gave me today but I am still not sure i understand it completely.

 

[DaveC426913]

You may have better luck (because it is a more common) looking into rainbows in soap bubbles. Same principle, but much better hits when searching.