

The translucent and transparent properties apply to all of the products we carry, including the cast, and extruded colored rod. You can see that the opaque material stops any light from passing through, while the transparent material allows light, and the shape of the object, to pass through. Here's an example of one of our opaque materials compared to translucent. For example, many people use translucent material for sign making, because it is excellent for backlighting.Īnother common option when choosing material is opacity, which lacks the characteristics of transparent and translucent material - opaque materials allow zero light to pass through. The following video shows a few of our colors in both transparent, and translucent.īoth types of material have endless practical uses, but depending on your application it’s important to know the difference. Of course, it’s easiest to see a few real-life examples using the material we have. In the example below, the furthest right sheet is transparent, while the next sheet over is translucent Think stain glass windows, which allow light to come through, but you won’t be able to clearly see anything behind the material. On the other hand, translucent material lets light pass through but objects on the other side can’t be seen clearly. The exact amount of light that can pass through depends on the material, but remember that you'll always be able to clearly see through the material. Transparent material has the physical properties of allowing light to pass through without a large scattering of light - this means that you can actually see through the material. Acrylic Balls & Half Round Balls (Cabochons)Ī question that comes up very frequently is the specific difference between transparent and translucent material, and it’s a great question since it can make a huge impact on what sort of acrylic you end up purchasing.When you are finished reviewing your answers, move on to the next section to perform your own experiment. The transparent category should include objects such as the clear plastic bag and glass. Some objects you should have written in the translucent category include tissue paper, plastic bag, and sunglasses. Some of the objects you should have written in the opaque category include wood, aluminum foil, and cardboard. Were you surprised by which category any of the objects fell into?ĭiscuss your response with your teacher or parent.As the scientist experiments with each object, write the name of the object in the correct column:Īfter the video, share your chart with your teacher or parent. Label the first column "Transparent," the middle column "Translucent," and the last column "Opaque."Īs you watch the following ADLC - Elementary Science: Translucent, Transparent, Opaque (ADLC Educational Media) video, you will see a scientist experiment with different objects to determine which are transparent, translucent, and opaque. Now, grab a piece of paper and either fold both sides vertically toward the center, or draw two, evenly-spaced lines down the center to create three equal columns. Does the object allow any light to shine through?.Examples of opaque objects include brick, wood, steel, and bone.įind an object that you think is opaque. Opaque objects do not allow any light to shine through. Opaque objects either reflect light or absorb light.


Unlike sound waves, light waves pass through objects based on the object's atomic structure, not its state of matter. Have you ever noticed that light travels through some objects, but not through others?.
