Question about the color of a thin film

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SUMMARY

The discussion confirms that when monochromatic light is directed at a thin film, the observed color is solely determined by the wavelength of that light due to interference effects. As the angle of incidence changes, the intensity of the reflected color varies from minimum to maximum interference, without introducing other wavelengths. The conversation references the impact of real-world light sources, which are not perfectly monochromatic, leading to variations in the reflected spectrum. Key examples include Haidinger fringes and Newton fringes, which illustrate the effects of film thickness on interference patterns.

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  • Basic optics concepts, including angle of incidence
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Antoha1
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TL;DR
Color of thin film if monochromatic light is pointed against it
If monochromatic light is pointed directly at thin film, film's color can only vary in intensiveness of that particular color of light, because of interference. So, if light is pointed at it, so it is maximum or minimum or neither of interference. The color apeared can only be the color of light pointed (the same wavelength). If we start changing angle of direction of light pointed to the film, the color of the film changes from no color (minimum of interference) to the color pointed (maximum of interference) with no any other colors (wavelenghts) of light apeared. asking if this is correct. The space is fully isolated from any other light sources.
 
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Yes, ideally the brightnness of the reflection will vary and that's all. In reality, all sources have some bandwidth (they are not perfectly monochromatic), so in an actual experiment there would be some variation in reflected spectrum.
 
Antoha1 said:
TL;DR: Color of thin film if monochromatic light is pointed against it
Yes, your reasoning is correct. Take a look at: https://www.soapbubble.dk/en/articles/thin-film-interference which shows a half soap-bubble illuminated by a monochromatic sodium-vapor lamp of wavelength ##589\,\text{nm}##:
1765642462102.webp

1765642489730.webp
 
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You need look to Haidinger fringes, fringes of equal inclination, formed with extended monochromatic source passing though the equal thickness film media. Interference fringes are localised at infinity.
Otherwise if the film thickness is variated, you can observe Newton fringes of equal thickness.
 

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