Explain why an oil layer on the water surface appears colored on a rainy day

Explain why an oil layer on the water surface appears colored on a rainy day

Solution

Then white light incident on the oil film, is partly reflected and partly refracted.

Dispersion occurs due to refraction.

The dispersed rays are reflected at oil-water interface.

The light reflected from both surface meet and superpose in air.

Constructive superposition of colored rays give colored fringes. Hence colored oily surface.

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