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Transmittance
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<p>Electromagnetic radiation can be affected in several ways by the medium in which it propagates. It can be <a href="/facts/Scattering/nMou7lEH">scattered</a>, <a href="/facts/Absorption_(electromagnetic_radiation)/xBYKt7yS">absorbed</a>, and <a href="/facts/Fresnel_equations/6SEao7ua">reflected and refracted</a> at discontinuities in the medium. This page is an overview of the last 3. The transmittance of a material and any surfaces is its effectiveness in transmitting <a href="/facts/Radiant_energy/8QHpm6KY">radiant energy</a>; the fraction of the initial (incident) radiation which propagates to a location of interest (often an observation location). This may be described by the <a href="/facts/Transmission_coefficient/893q1h2K">transmission coefficient</a>. </p>