English: Diagram showing the phase shift at the air water boundary of a bubble.
The wave is partically reflected at X and O. At X the wave suffers a 180° phase shift as it reflects off the air/water boundary. At O no such phase shift occurs at the water/air boundary. Nevertheless, since the part of the wave that is reflected at O has had to travel the depth of the film and back again, the difference in path length cancels out the phase shift, and the two parts of the wave emerge in phase.
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