Question

1. Why do you see colors when you look at reflected light from a CD or DVD disk, or when you look at a soap bubble or oil film on water?
2. What do you think causes the colors on the artwork panels on the side of HLS2 (Health Sciences building) which change with time of day and the angle from which you view them?

Answer 1

Explanation:

1.The light reflected from the CD/DVD or soap bubble or oil film forms an interference with the surrounding light. The inference both constructive and destructive making some color appear and some disappear.

2.As light behaves as wave it will interfere differently at different angles. At certain angle it will interfere constructively and at certain angle it will interfere destructively making some color brighter and some disappear. So, at different angles the color are different.