My 4 year old asked me and I think it’s a rather good question that I would like to answer so she understands. Thanks 🙏🏻
In: 1926
Because our eyes are made out of water, so the only light that we can see is the light that can pass through water. The reason why some light can pass through water is because light does not have any free electrons. If water had free electrons like metal dies, then it would be very reflective and shiny like metal is (which would prevent our eyes from working).
Because our eyes are made out of water, so the only light that we can see is the light that can pass through water. The reason why some light can pass through water is because light does not have any free electrons. If water had free electrons like metal dies, then it would be very reflective and shiny like metal is (which would prevent our eyes from working).
It’s important to realize that lots of things are see through, water, glass, air…
The other important idea to understand is that light travels in a straight line unless it hits something; but here’s the rub, it’s picky about what it hits. Different kinds of light like to hit different things. For example, x rays like to hit bones but not your skin and muscles. Radio waves like to hit sky scrapers, but not people. Blue light likes to hit the air, but red light doesn’t (which is why sunsets are red and the sky is blue).
Things that are see through, like water, glass and air, aren’t made of stuff that likes to get hit by “normal” light, so the light just goes right through it.
The ELI5 and oversimplidied answer.:
Things are see trough because light can go trough them without interacting with the thing.
Like some things can go trough a filter some not
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The “why” of that cannot be explained to a 5 year old. It is connected to atoms, molecules, electron layers and energy levels.
Different lights can go trough different things. For visible light water, glass are see trough. For UV light, they are not. Infrared light can’t go trough glass.
For radiowaves most of things are “transparent” They can go trough many things
For X-rays. your skin a squishy parts are see trough, your bones are not.
It’s important to realize that lots of things are see through, water, glass, air…
The other important idea to understand is that light travels in a straight line unless it hits something; but here’s the rub, it’s picky about what it hits. Different kinds of light like to hit different things. For example, x rays like to hit bones but not your skin and muscles. Radio waves like to hit sky scrapers, but not people. Blue light likes to hit the air, but red light doesn’t (which is why sunsets are red and the sky is blue).
Things that are see through, like water, glass and air, aren’t made of stuff that likes to get hit by “normal” light, so the light just goes right through it.
The ELI5 and oversimplidied answer.:
Things are see trough because light can go trough them without interacting with the thing.
Like some things can go trough a filter some not
—
The “why” of that cannot be explained to a 5 year old. It is connected to atoms, molecules, electron layers and energy levels.
Different lights can go trough different things. For visible light water, glass are see trough. For UV light, they are not. Infrared light can’t go trough glass.
For radiowaves most of things are “transparent” They can go trough many things
For X-rays. your skin a squishy parts are see trough, your bones are not.
Well, have you ever played with a ball in a swimming pool? When the ball is underwater, it looks bigger and distorted, right? That’s because the water bends or refracts the light that passes through it.
Now, imagine if you had a really tiny ball that was made up of water molecules. When light passes through these tiny water molecules, it also gets bent or refracted, just like in the swimming pool.
But here’s the thing: when the light gets refracted, it doesn’t get absorbed by the water molecules. Instead, it just gets redirected in a different direction. This means that the light can keep traveling through the water without being absorbed or scattered, which allows it to pass through the water and reach our eyes, making the water appear transparent.
So in simple terms, water is transparent because it doesn’t absorb or scatter light, but instead bends or refracts it, allowing the light to pass through it without being absorbed, and reach our eyes.
Some materials, on the other hand, are not transparent because they absorb or scatter light instead of bending or refracting it like water.
For example, if you shine a flashlight through a piece of wood or a leather sheet, the light won’t pass through it easily like it does with water. Instead, the light will be absorbed or scattered by the wood or the sheet, which makes these materials appear opaque or non-transparent.
Opaque materials have a lot of atoms or molecules packed together very tightly, which makes it difficult for light to pass through them. When light hits an opaque material, the atoms and molecules in the material absorb the light’s energy and re-emit it in many different directions, which causes the light to scatter and reflect back towards us, making the material appear solid and not see-through.
In summary, the difference between transparent and opaque materials lies in how they interact with light. Transparent materials bend or refract light, allowing it to pass through without being absorbed or scattered, while opaque materials absorb or scatter light, preventing it from passing through easily and making the material appear solid and non-transparent.
Well, have you ever played with a ball in a swimming pool? When the ball is underwater, it looks bigger and distorted, right? That’s because the water bends or refracts the light that passes through it.
Now, imagine if you had a really tiny ball that was made up of water molecules. When light passes through these tiny water molecules, it also gets bent or refracted, just like in the swimming pool.
But here’s the thing: when the light gets refracted, it doesn’t get absorbed by the water molecules. Instead, it just gets redirected in a different direction. This means that the light can keep traveling through the water without being absorbed or scattered, which allows it to pass through the water and reach our eyes, making the water appear transparent.
So in simple terms, water is transparent because it doesn’t absorb or scatter light, but instead bends or refracts it, allowing the light to pass through it without being absorbed, and reach our eyes.
Some materials, on the other hand, are not transparent because they absorb or scatter light instead of bending or refracting it like water.
For example, if you shine a flashlight through a piece of wood or a leather sheet, the light won’t pass through it easily like it does with water. Instead, the light will be absorbed or scattered by the wood or the sheet, which makes these materials appear opaque or non-transparent.
Opaque materials have a lot of atoms or molecules packed together very tightly, which makes it difficult for light to pass through them. When light hits an opaque material, the atoms and molecules in the material absorb the light’s energy and re-emit it in many different directions, which causes the light to scatter and reflect back towards us, making the material appear solid and not see-through.
In summary, the difference between transparent and opaque materials lies in how they interact with light. Transparent materials bend or refract light, allowing it to pass through without being absorbed or scattered, while opaque materials absorb or scatter light, preventing it from passing through easily and making the material appear solid and non-transparent.
You ask her why she thinks it is and then go first where she starts in her head. Question each answer constructively and inquisitively in a way that leads her to answer you in ways she is almost always right in until, methodically, you both land together at a new piece of knowledge—the scientific answer for how H2O molecules bind together, and how they both refract light and allow it to pass through. You neither give her the answer nor let her think you’re holding it from her. You work together to get it.
And I have to remember we can’t see light, only the reflection of it…so water is clear because there is nothing for light to reflect off of…but in large quantities, blue light is scattered so it’s blue
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