Weird question

[Zephik]

I had a weird thought today while driving around down town, one that I'm not even sure there is an answer too? But I was thinking, why is metal non transparent while glass is? And not just metal and glass, those are just examples. I guess it would be better to say, why are transparent things transparent and non transparent things non transparent? But that might be too vague of a question since the molecular and chemical structure of everything is different. But I'm thinking it has something to do with the molecular structure of things, but I guess you can say that for just about anything.

So does anyone know the answer? Its kind of a strange question, but I thought it was pretty interesting/fun to think about. I mean, if we could create transparent metal, how freaking awesome would that be?! It might not be possible though, but hey, the world ain't flat now is it?

[Spawn-Inc]

well to start glass there is the controversy of whether glass is a liquid or solid. the reason you can see through glass is because there is enough space in between each molecule that light can pass through, i think.

here is a link to how stuff works.

http://math.ucr.edu/home/baez/physic...ass/glass.html

[jdbnsn]

From what I understand, the molecules in different arrangements within different substances reflect or absorb light at different wavelengths. This is also why we see color. In color, carbon atoms that have conjugated double bonds (alternating double and single covalent bonds) have different spectral signatures depending on how many bonds are contained within each molecule. If a molecular structure of a substance such as green paint absorbs light at all the frequencies of the visual spectrum except green, then green light is reflected back and that is what we see. So glass must not absorb any light (I am guessing here). As for transparent metal, it's not likely because metals have such a compact structure they essentially are a bunch of protons squeezed together with electrons being shared in all directions. But Star Trek submitted the idea years ago with one of the movies where "transparent aluminum" was used to build a strong fish tank for whales. Who knows, the sound barrier was broken so I guess anything is possible.

[SgtM]

I think I'm on nerd overload after those explanations. +rep though.

[Crazy Buddhist]

"OK ... here comes the science" - from a L'Orreal advertisement

... Basically some thhings are transparent because the light travels through them whilst others are not because it doesn't.

Green glass absorbs all the light but green and "transparent" glass absorbs a little bit accross the spectrum.

I think a poem from Spike Milligan explains the theory rather well, even though it's talking about rain rather than atoms:

There are holes in the sky
where the rain comes in
But the holes are small
Thats why rain is thin.

Similarly there are effectively "holes" in transparent stuff where the light gets through. Good thing the sky is not made of metal !! Hurrah ... because otherwise it would be a) very dark down here and b) very dry and c) we would all be albino and then L'Orreal would go out of business (albino's are famously pale faced when it comes to beauty products) and I wouldn't have been able to quote their very helpful ad slogan.

[Drew]

"OK ... here comes the science" - from a L'Orreal advertisement

... Basically some thhings are transparent because the light travels through them whilst others are not because it doesn't.

Green glass absorbs all the light but green and "transparent" glass absorbs a little bit accross the spectrum.

I think a poem from Spike Milligan explains the theory rather well, even though it's talking about rain rather than atoms:

There are holes in the sky
where the rain comes in
But the holes are small
Thats why rain is thin.

Similarly there are effectively "holes" in transparent stuff where the light gets through. Good thing the sky is not made of metal !! Hurrah ... because otherwise it would be a) very dark down here and b) very dry and c) we would all be albino and then L'Orreal would go out of business (albino's are famously pale faced when it comes to beauty prodcuts) and I wouldn't have been able to quote their very helpful ad slogan.

WTF?

You mental?

But the poem? Genius. And true I think.

+rep for the poetry.

[calumc]

WTF?

You mental?

does his name not answer that for you??
and even if he isnt mental he's sure ****ing smart!!

[Cookies N' Milk]

Transparent Aluminum

I had to.

[Slug Toy]

Transparent Aluminum

I had to.

yep, thats what transparent aluminum is... a gem. aluminum oxide in its crystalline form and with no impurities is clear as far as i know.

As for transparent metal, it's not likely because metals have such a compact structure they essentially are a bunch of protons squeezed together with electrons being shared in all directions.

well, actually, its not that simple. i wish it were though. metals only share their valence electrons, meaning the outer shell. the inner shells still belong exclusively to each atom. its not just a bunch of nuclei stuck together. that would entail a VERY dense material, and in fact a new element if all the nuclei were stuck together. we're talking neutron stars here if this were the case.

i dont think i can overstate the interconnectedness of light and electrons. im not sure if its known why materials are clear, and why others arent. i can make an educated guess that it once again has to do with electrons, and subsequently crystal structures. in fact, now that i think of it, i have a hypothesis (one of my first in many years). allow me to elaborate.

think of all the elements in their pure forms, excluding gases because we're talking solids here, and to a lesser extent liquids. are any pure elements clear? nope. now think of a lot of compounds. are they clear? sometimes. aluminum is a good example again. pure elemental aluminum is silvery. aluminum oxide is clear. perhaps the electron orbital hybridization involved in the creation of compounds is responsible for allowing light to pass through. even further to that, i might make the guess that colors are determined by the distances between atoms. i cant say why yet, because im still working it out in my head as we speak, but ill try to let you know soon. its starting to make sense to me at least.

[Crazy Buddhist]

WTF?

You mental?

But the poem? Genius. And true I think.

+rep for the poetry.

What is mad? What is sane? And, most importantly, who is the judge?

Actually I'm not "mental" strictly speaking though I am a Crazy Wisdom Guru of the Karma-Kagyu and Nyingma Lineages of Tibbetain Buddhism. For those whose minds inhabit traditional patterns of sanity my thinking can seem "mental", i'll admit.

I was taking the "p" out of science and Lorreal: science doesn't understand why "light" travels through some "things" and not others because we don't really understand what "things" or "light" are for a start. Which would be a good beginning!

I was called a child prodigy in maths and physics which made it boring. Instead I sought out dope, girls and discovered out how to blow up the schools first computer by making the seriel port turn and off so damn quick it played a tune on a relay "Land of hope and glory"

... getting those tones right using "for-next loops" in basic to slow it down was a long job ... I hear it now ..."beeeeeep beeeeeep beeep beeep beeep beeeeeeeep beeeeep" and the refrain from my computer teacher "turn that F***ing thing off before it ..."

BANG

Computer lessons were less fun after that. While the school saved up for a new one, we went back to sending punch cards through the post and and getting them back a week later with a printout that said "Error on card 1". The feeling this gave us was only slightly better than the feeling we had after another week when the report said "error on card 2". Debugging was a slow proces back then and we all had lice anyway so pointless.

However .. I digress ...

I was also indeed, mimicking the style and Genius of that now-so-sadly-lost-to-us GOD of comedy, Monsieur Milligan, who's poems lighted up my childhood like a very bling sign saying:

" IT'S NOT ALL BAD "

And as you like his poems so much, here's another:

A baby sardine saw his first submarine,
And swam to look through a peephole,
"Come come", said his mum, don't be so glum,
It's only a tin - full of people.

Peace + thanks for the rep + some back for your appreciation of Spike. May god toast him quickly.

CrazyB