When viewed in reflected white light against a black background, transparent films
show the classical interference colours of thin plates which permit an estimate of
their thickness to be made. When of the order of
(
) in thickness they appear white (silver
film) and when thinner they appear gradually less intensely white, then grey and finally
black.
Source:
PAC, 1972, 31, 577
(Manual of Symbols and Terminology for Physicochemical Quantities and Units, Appendix
II: Definitions, Terminology and Symbols in Colloid and Surface Chemistry)
on page 614