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