TED-ED: Why is glass transparent? - Mark Miodownik

The video explores the nature of glass, starting with its origins in the Earth's crust as silicon dioxide, which forms quartz. When heated, quartz becomes a liquid and cools into an amorphous solid, allowing light to pass through without scattering. The video explains why glass is transparent, focusing on atomic structure and energy levels. It concludes with the significance of glass in modern civilization, highlighting its applications in windows and lenses.

What are the two most common elements in the Earth's crust that contribute to the formation of glass?

• Carbon and Hydrogen

• Silicon and Oxygen

• Nitrogen and Helium

• Iron and Magnesium

What happens to quartz when it is heated to a high temperature?

• It remains unchanged

• It turns into a gas

• It becomes a crystalline solid

• It melts into a flowing liquid

How does the structure of glass differ from that of a crystalline solid?

• Glass is composed of individual atoms

• Glass is made of metal particles

• Glass has a regular, ordered structure

• Glass has a chaotic, liquid-like structure

Why is glass transparent to visible light?

• Glass absorbs all light

• Visible light photons do not have enough energy to move electrons

• The atomic structure of glass is dense

• Visible light photons have enough energy to move electrons

Why can't you get a suntan through glass?

• Glass absorbs ultraviolet light

• Glass reflects all ultraviolet light

• Glass is opaque to visible light

• Glass blocks all types of light