If the absorbance (A) is 0, what does that indicate about transmittance (T)?

When the absorbance (A) is 0, it means that no light is absorbed by the sample. This is a key point because absorbance is calculated using the formula ( A = -\log(T) ), where ( T ) is the transmittance expressed as a fraction (with ( T ) ranging from 0 to 1).

If ( A = 0 ), then substituting this value into the equation gives:

[

0 = -\log(T)

]

To isolate ( T ), we can rearrange the equation:

[

-\log(T) = 0

]

Taking the antilogarithm of both sides yields:

[

T = 10^0 = 1

]

This indicates that 100% of the light is transmitted through the sample, meaning that all the light that goes into the sample comes out unabsorbed. Thus, a transmittance of 1 corresponds to an absorbance of 0. This relationship is fundamental in understanding the behavior of light in relation to materials in various fields such as chemistry and materials science.

In summary, an absorbance of 0 indeed confirms a transmittance of 1, reflecting that the