Paint on cars that change colour

AI Thread Summary
The paint that changes color on cars is commonly referred to as "flip-flop paint." This effect, known as iridescence, occurs due to the interference of light reflecting off different layers of the paint. As the angle of light changes, the paint appears to shift in color, similar to the effects seen in soap bubbles or oil slicks. The dramatic color changes can enhance the visual appeal of vehicles, particularly in sunlight. Understanding this phenomenon can also clarify why it complicates eyewitness accounts in incidents like hit-and-runs.
kateman
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i was wondering what this type of paint (the type you see on cars that changes colour as the car moves around) is called?

and more importantly, how it works?

is it just the different shades of light that reflect the different colours?
 
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The painters I know call it flip-flop paint. Not sure how it works, but some of the color changes can be dramatic. A friend of mine customized his wife's Harley and had it painted with a blue-purple flip-flop. It looks great when she drives by on a sunny day.
 
The effect is called iridescence, and it's the same phenomenon observed when looking at soap bubbles, or an oil slick on water. Interference from light being reflected off different layers of the paint (or oil film) causes the object to appear different colours at varying angles of incidence.
 
It sure messes up witnesses to a hit-and-run. :wink:
 
cool, thanks for that
its been on my mind for a while :smile:
 

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