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by mike scholtes on June 17th, 2005
This phenomenon, called iridescence, occurs because the thickness of the film is comparable to the wavelengths of visible colors of light. Light reflecting from the rear surface of the film combines with the light that reflected from the front surface, but since the light traveled at a different velocity in the film (it has a different refractive index), the light that has traversed the oil has been retarded in phase. When it combines with the light reflecting from the front surface, the two parts interfere with each other. Interference can be constructive (they are in phase, and simply add together) or destructive (they are out of phase, and cancel each other). The color you see corresponds to the color (wavelength) that has constructive interference. If you look at the same spot from a different angle, the color changes, because the back-reflected light took a different-length path through the oil. Different thicknesses produce different colors, whether it is because the oil film is a different thickness, or because you are look through it at an angle.
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