eli5 why do we see transparent objects if they let light pass through them

Question

eli5 why do we see transparent objects if they let light pass through them

In: Physics

Answer 1

They don’t let 100% of the light through them.

Take standard window glass as an example.

It’s clear, we can see through it, and yet we can also see that there’s something there, particularly when you look at it from and angle.

Glass has about an 88-90% transmittance (just means light passing through) of light, meaning 90%ish of the light passes through, but also that about 10% doesn’t.