- #1
peter.ell
- 43
- 0
According to my understand of what makes something transparent, it's because a given wavelength of light doesn't have sufficient energy to raise the electrons in a material to a higher energy level, so the photons are not absorbed and continue on.
This explains why glass is transparent for visible light but absorbs UV, as UV has enough energy to excite the electrons to the allowed energy levels of silicon...but then why is glass also opaque to lower energy IR?
Thank you.
This explains why glass is transparent for visible light but absorbs UV, as UV has enough energy to excite the electrons to the allowed energy levels of silicon...but then why is glass also opaque to lower energy IR?
Thank you.