Transparency and translucency: Difference between revisions

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When a light wave of a given frequency strikes a material with particles having the same or (resonant) vibrational frequencies, then those particles will absorb the energy of the light wave and transform it into thermal energy of vibrational motion. Since different atoms and molecules have different natural frequencies of vibration, they will selectively absorb different frequencies (or portions of the spectrum) of infrared light. Reflection and transmission of light waves occur because the frequencies of the light waves do not match the natural resonant frequencies of vibration of the objects. When infrared light of these frequencies strikes an object, the energy is reflected or transmitted.

If the object is transparent, then the light waves are passed on to neighboring atoms through the bulk of the material and re-emitted on the opposite side of the object. Such frequencies of light waves are said to be [[transmit]]tedtransmitted.<ref>{{cite book|author1=Gunzler, H. |author2=Gremlich, H. |name-list-style=amp |title=IR Spectroscopy: An Introduction|publisher=Wiley|year= 2002}}</ref><ref>{{cite book|author=Stuart, B.|title=Infrared Spectroscopy: Fundamentals and Applications|publisher=Wiley|year=2004}}</ref>

===Transparency in insulators===