Water is transparent or not?

Question

I am asking this question because anything that produces shadow is not transperent and water produces shadow when flowing from a tap.

Answer 1

Interesting question! I'd guess there's a shadow because some of the light is reflected and some is refracted - there's probably not much that goes straight through. I'll have to get my laser pointer out!

Answer 2

Well, you are partly correct. that means you are also partly wrong, sorry. So what's up with water?

Water is transparent, but not perfectly transparent. Water also has density which allows it to act as a lens. Even it it were 100% transparent, it would cast a shadow because it would bend the light like a lens, creating both lighter and darker areas.

Water is a solvent. So it dissolves minerals. These minerals absorb light. So, say that the minerals a foot of water absorbs 1% of the light. In a hundred feet, most of the light would have been absorbed. This is the real world. Pure water is very rare. I don't think it occurs much flowing on the surface. Even if pure steam evaporated from a source, leaving 100% of the minerals behind, the atmosphere is not perfectly clean, and water will accumulate dust. After it rains or snows, it is in contact with the surface and begins to dissolve minerals and salts.

But water from the tap is too thin to absorb the light. That small amount of water, if spread in a flat sheet would be virtually transparent.

;-D The shadow you see is the result of the shape coming from the tap.

Answer 3

I dont understand. I have never heard transparent things dont have shadows, where did you get that. Transparent things let light pass through OR they can refract the light. ???? mabie some more info.
I also agree with everyone else, there are ALWAYS going to be some king of particles in water that case refration of light or shadows

Answer 4

Pure water is transperent; we see shadow of water when flowing from tap because atmospheric dust particles mix with it.

Answer 5

Pure water is transparent to the visible wavelengths of light, with maximum transmission of light in the blue portion of the visible spectrum.

Pure water is almost totally transparent to such low frequency radiation. The maximum absorption varies to higher frequencies at higher temperatures when the weaker hydrogen bonding allows a quicker response to changes in the field [136]. Microwave ovens typically use radiation at 2.450 GHz (λ 12.24 cm).




In short,any pure water has a property wherein it is transparent, odorless, tasteless liquid composed of the elements hydrogen and oxygen.

Answer 6

Yes. To some depth.
No. Beyond certain depth.
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Only thing that is mostly or almost truly transparent is Ether (vacuum in outer space).

So what is transparent?

For most part, if you can see through some thing clearly it is transparent (clear glass).

If you are not able to see through then, it is opaque (black colour glass).

If some light can pass through and if you can see shadows.....then it is translucent (ground glass).
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A very thin sheet of gold is transparent. Some office buildings windows glass have gold coating (vacuum flashed on .0005 thick), to prevent UV and IR.

Answer 7

Any material through which u can see is transparent and yes water is transparent.

Answer 8

Transparent, but greater volumes create opacity.

Answer 9

khan...can u see the objects on the other side when water ( clean) is placed in glass box ( say aquarium)...
experience the answer urself...
do not wait for the answer now...
any object or fluid which allows visibility is transparent.
thnx
next question plz...

pankaj

Answer 10

Not totally transparent, but you CAN see through it.