Why is glass transparent?
In: Physics
Light is made of waves, specifically electromagnetic waves. Any solid material is going to be made of atoms, which are made up of electrically charged particles (protons and electrons). This means that both light and atoms can interact with each other through the electromagnetic field.
The strength of this interaction determines whether light can pass through an object or get absorbed by it.
At it’s core it’s about the wiggling of the light waves and the wiggling of the atoms in the material. They don’t wiggle together at the same speed and the light can’t be absorbed, much like if you try to push a person on the swing but don’t time it right you might just get knocked over. Light hitting a brick is more like pushing a swing in time with the swing. The energy from your arms is absorbed because your pushes are timed well. Light hitting a brick wiggles together with the atoms in the brick well and its energy gets absorbed.
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