Request a call back

Join NOW to get access to exclusive study material for best results

CBSE Class 12-science Answered

Why does oil when kept on a surface shows different colours when viewed thru differernt positions whereas the same oil when kept in a closed metallic can has the same colour irrespective of the position of the observer?
Asked by Venkatesh | 30 Sep, 2013, 10:51: PM
answered-by-expert Expert Answer
The reason a rainbow effect is created on oil is because of interference. Oil on a puddle will tend to create a thin film, which can be anything from 10 to 100 molecules thick, so it’s very thin. Each of them can act like a tiny mirror, so when light hits the surface of an oily puddle, some will reflect off the water under the oil, and some will reflect off the oil layers. 

As light is a wave, if you cause the waves to stop lining up with each other, you can get the ‘up’ part of one wave aligning with the ‘down’ part of another wave, and these can cancel out. This is called interference, and it causes a pattern of colours according to how much interference is occurring. Oil films of different thicknesses cause different amounts of interference, so you get a rainbow effect
Answered by | 02 Oct, 2013, 10:52: PM
CBSE 12-science - Physics
Asked by shivamtkr7767 | 03 Mar, 2024, 12:45: PM
ANSWERED BY EXPERT ANSWERED BY EXPERT
CBSE 12-science - Physics
Asked by prachis14 | 06 Mar, 2023, 04:49: PM
ANSWERED BY EXPERT ANSWERED BY EXPERT
CBSE 12-science - Physics
Asked by rajawatmeena845 | 19 Jan, 2023, 07:21: PM
ANSWERED BY EXPERT ANSWERED BY EXPERT
CBSE 12-science - Physics
Asked by rajawatmeena845 | 19 Jan, 2023, 07:21: PM
ANSWERED BY EXPERT ANSWERED BY EXPERT
CBSE 12-science - Physics
Asked by balwansungh111334 | 13 Jul, 2022, 07:34: AM
ANSWERED BY EXPERT ANSWERED BY EXPERT
CBSE 12-science - Physics
Asked by arjunsah797 | 15 May, 2022, 01:18: PM
ANSWERED BY EXPERT ANSWERED BY EXPERT
Get Latest Study Material for Academic year 24-25 Click here
×