Try it on paper first. A hint, the key idea and the worked solution are here when you need them.
A soap film of refractive index and thickness nm stands in air. White light, with wavelengths from nm to nm, falls on it straight on. Find the wavelengths in the visible range that are reflected most strongly. Find also the wavelength in the visible range that is not reflected at all.
A film in air, light straight on: bright in reflection when , dark when . A coating between air and glass that is less dense than the glass is non-reflecting when . A sheet of index and thickness over one slit moves the pattern by towards that slit.
Have you tried it?
Work it out on paper first. It is fine to get stuck or make a mistake: that is how we learn. When you are ready, go through the solution one step at a time, and check each step against your own.
Step 1. The path. .
Step 2. The bright wavelengths. . For it is nm, outside the range. For it is nm. For it is nm. For it is nm, below the range.
Step 3. The dark wavelength. . For it is nm. The others, nm for and nm for , are outside the visible range.
Answer: nm (red) and nm (violet) are strong. nm (green) is missing.
Check. The film reflects red and violet strongly and no green, so it looks purple.
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