Why is glass transparent?
In: Physics
The main reason is because glass’ core ingredient is normally Quartz, a clear stone found in sand that gains some wonky properties when heated. As all the ingredients of glass are combined and melted, the bonds between molecules break up and are unable to re-from into a crystal-like fashion. The way these molecules re-form do so in a way that *allows light to pass between them*, instead of getting bounced around scattered, resulting a transparent product. (Quartz itself can range from clear to white/clouded depending on how the molecules inside are arranged.)
(This is why a prism can cask a rainbow. The molecules are formed in a way that scatters/catches the light (photons) *just right.*)
[Here’s a video](https://ed.ted.com/lessons/why-is-glass-transparent-mark-miodownik) that does a great job of explaining the above with visuals!
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