Why is air invisable? Is it's matter transparent? Why
cant we see air?
The molecules that make up air (nitrogen, oxygen, water vapor, carbon
dioxide, argon) just don't happen to absorb light in the wavelengths our
eyes can see. Infrared light is absorbed quite well by water vapor, and
most of the gases in air strongly absorb short-wave ultraviolet (< 200 nm
wavelength). Our eyes are sensitive to a window in which air is fairly
Richard Barrans Jr., Ph.D.
Chemical Separations Group
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Update: June 2012