Glass is transparent

hoay SG

Glass is Na2SiO3 any idea why it is transparent?

SJS6638 SG

Go ask your teacher.

UltimaOnline SG

Glass is Na2SiO3 any idea why it is transparent?

This question is, of course, totally beyond the scope of any A level Chemistry syllabus in the world.

But if Cambridge were to ask, "Based on your knowledge within your A level Chemistry syllabus, comment on the fact that a particular material, eg. silicate glass, is visually observed to possess optical transparency.".

From the visual observation that a particular material, eg. silicate glass, possesses optical transparency, we can reasonably deduce that the magnitude of the energy difference between the electron orbitals of the atoms or molecules within the material, does not correspond to the visible region of the electromagnetic spectrum. As such, in the event of electron transitions between the orbitals, no light energy corresponding to the visible region of the electromagnetic spectrum is absorbed.

That's as far as the A level Chemistry syllabus is concerned (if this was a A level Physics question, no doubt there would be something relevant in the A level Physics syllabus for the student to make reasonable comments as well). Anything beyond this would be beyond the scope of the A level Chemistry syllabus, and thus beyond the scope of my personal and professional interest as well. If you're looking for more info on this, you can ask this question on a University Physics + Chemistry inter-disciplinary forum.

MyPillowTalks SG

Hmm, i am interest to know what level is this question at? Seems like need a few concepts to answer this question.

University or A levels? Is it asked in a Physics or Chemistry?

From what i know (I didn't take chemistry), like everything else, glass have electrons orbiting the nuclues, and only certain orbits are allowed for these electrons.

Each of these orbits have different energy levels, in order for the electrons to jump to a different orbit, there must be a definite amount of energy.

The energy to bring these electrons to another orbit can come from light. However, we have to view light as a particle called photons instead of waves.

For glass, the photon (of light at visible frequencies) does not have enough energy to bring these electrons in the glass to another obit. Thus, the photon just pass through the electrons instead of being absorbed. If the photons have enough energy, they will be absorbed by the electrons.

Light of lower wavelengths (than visible light) should have more energy due to the equation E= hc/wavelength; where h is plancks constant, c is speed of light.

When photon just pass through glass, it is considered transmission of light.

Thus light just pass through without getting reflected.

As for our glass cup, it could be due to glass having higher refractive index, thus light going through it will bend towards normal, and the perceived image is different, thus we know there is something there.