Transparency meter
Introduction


A **transparency meter**, also called a **clarity meter**, is an instrument used to measure the [transparency](/wiki/Transparency_%28optics%29 "Transparency (optics)") of an object. Transparency refers to the optical distinctness with which an object can be seen when viewed through plastic film/sheet, [glass](/wiki/Glass "Glass"), etc. In the manufacture of sheeting/film, or glass the quantitative assessment of transparency is just as important as that of haze.Koleske, Paint and Coating Testing Manual, p. 370, 

Transparency depends on the linearity of the passage of light rays through the material. Small deflections of the light, caused by scattering centers of the material, bring about a deterioration of the image. These deflections are much smaller than those registered in haze measurements. While haze measurements depend upon wide\-angle scattering, clarity is determined by small\-angle scattering. Wide and small angle scattering are not directly related to each other. By this, we mean that haze measurements cannot provide information about the clarity of the specimen and vice versa.


What affects the transparency of an object?