Index Refraction: Transparent Bulk Matter?

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SUMMARY

The discussion centers on the concept of index refraction and its implications for the transparency of bulk matter. It establishes that materials with a real part of the index of refraction |n| significantly greater than the extinction coefficient |K| exhibit weak absorption, thus appearing transparent. However, it is noted that even typically transparent substances like water can become opaque at significant depths due to light absorption, highlighting the limitations of transparency approximations based on material thickness.

PREREQUISITES
  • Understanding of index refraction and its components, specifically the real part of index refraction and extinction coefficient.
  • Familiarity with optical properties of materials, particularly in relation to light absorption and transmission.
  • Knowledge of the behavior of light in different media, especially in bulk materials.
  • Basic principles of approximation in physics and material science.
NEXT STEPS
  • Research the mathematical formulation of index refraction and its applications in optics.
  • Explore the optical properties of various materials, focusing on their absorption coefficients and transparency thresholds.
  • Investigate the effects of material thickness on light transmission and absorption in different media.
  • Study the concept of approximations in physics, particularly in relation to the behavior of light in transparent materials.
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Physicists, optical engineers, material scientists, and anyone interested in the properties of light and transparency in various materials.

bahaar
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Hi.
In the textsbook i raed for frequencies that (real part of index refraction) |n|~1>>|K| (exitinction coefficient), we have transparent matter (weak absorption). If we have a bulk matter with big diameter, that there are no transmitted light ( i don't know it is possible or not), our matter be transparent or it is meaningless.

Thanks.
 
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Yes, that's kinda convention. Take water for example. In some hundred meters depth, the ocean is completely dark as all light from the sun has been absorbed, although we would usually consider water to be transparent.
 
That's the nature of approximations; they only work in certain regions of parameter space. For example, mostly transparent materials can only be treated as perfectly transparent if the object of interest is thin (how thin depends on how accurate you want the approximation to be).
 
Thanks.:smile:
 

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