How thick does a material have to be to start to become opaq

  • Context: Undergrad 
  • Thread starter Thread starter Nicholas Lee
  • Start date Start date
  • Tags Tags
    Material
Click For Summary

Discussion Overview

The discussion revolves around the thickness required for materials to become opaque to light, exploring the relationship between atomic structure, material composition, and optical properties. It touches on concepts from solid state physics and atomic physics.

Discussion Character

  • Exploratory
  • Debate/contested
  • Technical explanation

Main Points Raised

  • One participant questions how thick a material must be to become opaque, noting that as thickness increases, electrons begin to absorb light, leading to a loss of transparency.
  • Another participant states that gold can be opaque with just a couple of atoms, while water requires many tens of meters to achieve opacity.
  • There is a reiteration of the claim regarding the thickness of gold and water in multiple posts, emphasizing the same points without introducing new information.
  • A participant discusses the differences in optical properties between graphite and diamond, both made of carbon, suggesting that atomic arrangement significantly affects material behavior.
  • A later reply accuses another participant of plagiarism for copying previous posts without proper citation, raising concerns about thread management and repetition of topics.

Areas of Agreement / Disagreement

Participants express differing views on the thickness required for various materials to become opaque, with some providing specific examples while others focus on broader principles. The discussion remains unresolved with multiple competing perspectives.

Contextual Notes

The discussion includes assumptions about the behavior of materials at different thicknesses and the influence of atomic structure on optical properties, but these assumptions are not universally accepted or elaborated upon.

Nicholas Lee
Messages
27
Reaction score
1
-que to light?Someone said a atom is transparent to light to me.
but as a material get more thicker, either in single atoms, or a micron, electrons start to absorb light, and there is no more transparency
How thick does a material have to be before there is no more transparency.
Like the material acts as a wall to light.
Now solid state physics can be VERY DIFFERENT than atomic physics.
When atoms are joined together to form a solid, their behavior can be very different than when they are isolated. There are no more "discrete energy states" at the low-lying range, because these have been replaced by energy BANDS!.
If I take carbon atoms, and arrange it in one way, I get graphite.
But I change the arrangement in another way, I get diamond!
Two completely different types of material, and with different optical properties.
Yet, each one of them is made of carbon.
Thank you for your help, anything helps,even a few words.
 
Physics news on Phys.org
Gold need only be a couple of atoms thick to be opaque.
Water needs to be many tens of metres thick to be opaque.
 
  • Like
Likes   Reactions: Nicholas Lee
DaveC426913 said:
Gold need only be a couple of atoms thick to be opaque.
Water needs to be many tens of metres thick to be opaque.
Thank you
 
DaveC426913 said:
Gold need only be a couple of atoms thick to be opaque.
Water needs to be many tens of metres thick to be opaque.
Great thank you.
 
Nicholas Lee said:
-que to light?Someone said a atom is transparent to light to me.
but as a material get more thicker, either in single atoms, or a micron, electrons start to absorb light, and there is no more transparency
How thick does a material have to be before there is no more transparency.
Like the material acts as a wall to light.
Now solid state physics can be VERY DIFFERENT than atomic physics.
When atoms are joined together to form a solid, their behavior can be very different than when they are isolated. There are no more "discrete energy states" at the low-lying range, because these have been replaced by energy BANDS!.
If I take carbon atoms, and arrange it in one way, I get graphite.
But I change the arrangement in another way, I get diamond!
Two completely different types of material, and with different optical properties.
Yet, each one of them is made of carbon.
Thank you for your help, anything helps,even a few words.

Are you aware that you plagiarized one of my posts?

If you are CITING someone, either use the QUOTE function, or quote what you are copying in " ". Otherwise, this looks as if this was ALL written by you!

And why are you starting a new thread, rather than asking this as a follow-up to the thread that had this passage that you copied? You have started numerous threads on almost the SAME topic.

Zz.
 
Last edited:

Similar threads

Graduate Photons through transparent materials, what's going on?
  • · Replies 22 ·
Replies
22
Views
8K
Undergrad How a mirror works: condensed matter explanation
  • · Replies 6 ·
Replies
6
Views
3K
Undergrad Time rondeau crystals, experimental observations
  • · Replies 1 ·
Replies
1
Views
3K
Undergrad Radiative and Nonradiative Transitions
  • · Replies 3 ·
Replies
3
Views
4K
High School If you raise the electron to other higher shell states, can it affect light transmission?
  • · Replies 10 ·
Replies
10
Views
3K
Undergrad Why are there not more ferromagnetic Materials?
  • · Replies 1 ·
Replies
1
Views
3K
Loss of atoms from the surface of the material: How does it work?
  • · Replies 15 ·
Replies
15
Views
2K
Undergrad How does detuned laser frequency affect atomic dipole forces?
  • · Replies 10 ·
Replies
10
Views
3K
Graduate Does anybody know the energy shells eV for glass, and solid carbon?
  • · Replies 2 ·
Replies
2
Views
3K
High School Why does light transmit through glass/diamond, but not solid
  • · Replies 2 ·
Replies
2
Views
2K