Transparency and translucency

Transparency and translucency describe how materials transmit light. Transparent materials transmit light while preserving clear images; translucent materials scatter transmitted light and blur images.

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Absorption (electromagnetic radiation): The transfer of electromagnetic energy into matter, reducing the intensity of transmitted radiation. Absorption dims transmitted light without necessarily blurring the image.
Visible spectrum: The range of electromagnetic wavelengths detectable by the human eye. Transparency can vary across visible wavelengths, changing color as well as clarity.
Frosted glass: Glass with a textured or treated surface that scatters transmitted light and obscures images. It is a familiar translucent material that passes light while providing visual privacy.
Opacity (optics): The degree to which a material blocks the passage of light. Opacity contrasts with both clear transmission and diffuse light transmission.
Light scattering: The redirection of light by particles, irregularities, or other variations in a material. Scattering spreads light across directions and blurs transmitted images.
Transmittance: The fraction of incident radiation that passes through a material or interface. High transmittance alone does not guarantee a clear transmitted image.
Privacy glass: Glazing designed to limit visibility through a window while transmitting some light. Its performance depends on balancing light transmission with image obscuration.
Reflectance: The fraction of incident light reflected by a surface or material. Reflection sends light back rather than transmitting it through the material.
Fresnel equations: Equations describing how light reflects and transmits at an interface between materials. Surface reflection limits how much incident light enters a transparent material.
Diffuse transmission: Transmission in which light emerges spread over a range of directions. Diffuse transmission explains why some bright materials do not reveal sharp images.