Sitting at my desk, I can look out onto my backyard through sliding glass doors. So why can I see my backyard at all? That is, why is glass transparent? We take the clearness of glass (and plastics) for granted, but this property is incredibly important. Seeing the birds in my backyard may not be critical, however, seeing oncoming traffic when I'm driving my car is. Allowing light into my home through windows saves the energy required to illuminate my home so I wouldn't walk into things. Think of the deli case at your local supermarket – the glass allows you to see the goodies inside, but protects them from the other customer's germs.
Why is glass transparent?
Why is glass transparent?
Why is glass transparent?
Sitting at my desk, I can look out onto my backyard through sliding glass doors. So why can I see my backyard at all? That is, why is glass transparent? We take the clearness of glass (and plastics) for granted, but this property is incredibly important. Seeing the birds in my backyard may not be critical, however, seeing oncoming traffic when I'm driving my car is. Allowing light into my home through windows saves the energy required to illuminate my home so I wouldn't walk into things. Think of the deli case at your local supermarket – the glass allows you to see the goodies inside, but protects them from the other customer's germs.