This picture shows a thin film of soap directed vertically from the ground using a wire loop. A Canon digital camera, with power shot SD 400, and 5.0 mega pixels was used to take this image. The pattern appearing in the photo is produced through optical interference when a thin film reflects light. When the light rays strike the surface of the thin film, some of the light is reflected, while some is refracted. On the bottom surface, a similar process is occurring. As a result, two rays are reflected to the eye of the observer: the first ray from the top surface and the second ray from the lower surface. The pattern seen in the photo also results from the constructive and destructive interference pattern. Also, the effect of gravity (on a vertical soap film) causes the film to portray the patterns illustrated in the photo: thick at the bottom and thin at the top. The interference pattern was created using sunlight at sunset time, which is why an image of the sunset is visible in the photo.

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Dhanisha Patel
Emergy Collegiate Institute, North York, Ontario
First Prize ( High School Individual Category )

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