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Properties of Glass


The thermal, optical, electrical and chemical properties of glass vary with its composition.



Glass is a good thermal conductor.


Glass is an electrically insulating material: 
it does not conduct electricity. 


When light falls on glass, part of the light is 
reflected at the surface, 
part of the light is absorbed 
in the glass, and part of the light is 
transmitted.

If most of the light is transmitted, the glass is transparent. By colouring the glass or changing its composition, it is possible to transmit selectively some wavelenghs of the spectrum.

Common glass does not transmit ultra-violet radiation (short wavelengths): you will not get a tan behind a window!
However it does transmit infrared radiation (long wavelengths): this is why it is always hot behind a glass window.


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