how is glass reflective and transparent?

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How is glass both able to be reflective and see through. Obviously it is but my brain can’t understand how the light can both pass through to the eyes of the person on the inside as well as reflect off the material and be seen by someone on the outside. Please help me understand. Thanks 🙂

In: Physics

4 Answers

Anonymous 0 Comments

It reflects some fraction of the light on the surface, absorbs some and lets some pass through. Typically it will let most light pass through, reflect some and absorb very little, but it depends on the glass and its use.

You notice the reflection more when your side is much brighter, e.g. in the evening with the lights on in the room. The glass still lets most of the light from your room pass through, but the small fraction that gets reflected can be more light than the bit of outdoor light that gets in.

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