A material is considered to exhibit this property when it allows light to pass through it without significant scattering or absorption. This enables objects behind the substance to be clearly seen. For instance, ordinary window glass exemplifies this characteristic, permitting a high percentage of incident light to transmit through, thus facilitating unobstructed vision.
This characteristic is crucial in a wide range of applications, from optics and photonics to material science and engineering. Its understanding is fundamental to the development of lenses, optical fibers, and protective coatings. Historically, the development of clear glass played a pivotal role in advancements in microscopy and astronomy, allowing for detailed observation of both microscopic and macroscopic worlds.
