Transmission, Absorption and Scattering

Transmission

• Transmission is the passage of a wave without absorption or scattering.
• This means that the wave travels through the medium and continues carrying energy.

• A medium through which light can be transmitted, and through which we can see clearly is described as being transparent.

Absorption

• If a wave is absorbed instead, its energy is transmitted to the substance which absorbs it.
• A medium through which light cannot be transmitted, and is instead absorbed, is described as opaque.
• The proportion of wave energy is dependent on the properties of the two media and the angle of incidence (the angle at which the waves meets the other medium) of the wave.

Scattering

• Scattering is when a wave isn't absorbed into a material, but scatters into many different directions.
• In the end parts of the wave pass through the medium but it is no longer concentrated.

• Bathroom windows often use scattering to allow light to pass through, but only show a blurry image of the outside as light rays are scattered.