Transparent materials like glass let light pass through them.
Some examples of transparent objects include glass, cellophane, diamond and amber. Transparency is caused when light passes through a material without being scattered. It has application in many fields and is used both for function and aesthetical purposes.
The varied applications of the transparency in glass is most obvious in windows. Glass for functional objects such as cars, flashlights and microscopes also takes great advantage of the transparency of glass both for safety and aesthetical purposes. Marketers exploit the transparency of glass with bottles of products, such as juices and perfumes. Household objects such as cellophane and other plastics use transparency for functional purposes to help individuals identify what is inside a bag or wrapped up. Naturally occurring transparent gems such as diamonds have been used not only to create impressive beauty but also for practical, innovative applications in computer technology, thermo imaging and other fields. The transparency of amber, fossilized tree resin, makes it into a valued gem, but just as importantly it has allowed palaeontologists to make revolutionary fossil discoveries, including two mites discovered in northern Italy that were estimated to be over 230 million years old.
Transparent objects should not be confused with translucent objects, which transmit but diffuse the light that passes through them.