Why is glass transparent even though it is a solid?

Why is glass transparent even though it is a solid?

Visible light is made up of PHOTONS

Red light has the lowest frequency

Blue light has a higher frequency

Photons have a

specific energy according to the frequency of light they make up.

HIGHER Electrons can occupy different energy levels, lowest is the GROUND STATE. Electrons use photons to jump to HIGHER ENERGY STATES.

ENERGY S T A T E

The frequency of photons effects how they interact with a material and how the electrons in that material are arranged.

Opaque objects, like wood, have a more condensed structure of electrons. In opaque materials photons of visible light are mainly absorbed by the electrons in the material.

Photons being absorbed into an opaque material.

Glass

, a transparent material, has a less condensed structure of electrons. Therefore electrons move more freely.

glass

In , the amount of energy needed to raise an electron to the next energy level is HIGHER than most materials.

The photons of visible light do not have enough energy to bridge this energy gap, meaning that light passes through- enabling us to see through

glass.