RE: Is Pure Gold Transparant?
July 4, 2015 at 5:03 pm
(This post was last modified: July 4, 2015 at 5:33 pm by Alex K.)
The depth to which light can penetrate metals is limited by the fact that they conduct electricity. Since the electrons can move freely in a conducting metal, they will compensate the varying electrical fields coming from the outside (i.e. light) by moving and creating a potential in the opposite direction. This leads to the reflection (and absorption) of the light. This is why I would say basic physics prohibits any good electrical conductor to be transparent. The loophole is making the frequencies so high that the electrons are too inert to react to the external field, which is why far UV gets possibly transmitted better. In gold one can observe that blue light is already reflected less efficiently (which is why gold has golden color and is not like a perfect silvery mirror), and the rest is absorbed and converted into heat. But transmitting visible light, nope.
The fool hath said in his heart, There is a God. They are corrupt, they have done abominable works, there is none that doeth good.
Psalm 14, KJV revised edition
