1. What is Percent Transmittance for Aluminum?

Definition: Percent transmittance measures how much light passes through an aluminum sample compared to the incident light.

Purpose: It helps in material analysis, quality control, and optical property measurements of aluminum films or coatings.

2. How Does the Calculator Work?

The calculator uses the formula:

Where:

• \( \%T \) — Percent transmittance (%)
• \( I \) — Transmitted intensity (W/m²)
• \( I_0 \) — Incident intensity (W/m²)

Explanation: The ratio of transmitted to incident light intensity multiplied by 100 gives the percentage of light that passes through the material.

3. Importance of Transmittance Measurement

Details: Measuring transmittance is crucial for determining optical properties, thickness verification, and quality assessment of aluminum coatings.

4. Using the Calculator

Tips: Enter both intensity values in W/m². Incident intensity must be greater than zero. The result shows what percentage of light passes through the aluminum sample.

5. Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)

Q1: What is typical transmittance for aluminum?
A: Pure aluminum is highly opaque, typically showing very low transmittance (often less than 1%) for visible light.

Q2: How does thickness affect transmittance?
A: Thicker aluminum samples generally show lower transmittance due to increased absorption.

Q3: What if I get 0% transmittance?
A: This indicates no light is passing through, which is expected for thick aluminum but may suggest measurement issues for thin films.

Q4: Can this be used for other metals?
A: Yes, the same calculation applies to any material, though transmittance values will vary significantly.

Q5: What about reflectance?
A: Aluminum is highly reflective. Most non-transmitted light is reflected rather than absorbed.