# See Right Through Me (DD-332)

> Borosilicate glass such as Pyrex has a refractive index of about 1.47, close to that of many vegetable oils. When the glass is submerged, light passes from oil to glass with almost no bending or reflection, so the edges our eyes use to see the glass nearly vanish. The footage shows Pyrex objects disappearing as they are lowered into oil.

- Department: Science
- First published: 2024-09-27
- Last updated: 2024-09-27
- Permalink: https://detailenjoyer.com/case/see-right-through-me/
- Author: Marcus Easterling (DetailEnjoyer), The Detail Department

## Quick facts

- **DD-332-F01**: Pyrex has an index of about 1.47. _(Write-up · Exhibit A (Index))_
- **DD-332-F02**: Vegetable oils are similar. _(Write-up · Exhibit B (Oil))_

## Write-up

Pyrex dipped in vegetable oil seems to disappear. Glass and oil bend light by almost the same amount.

1. **Index**: Pyrex has an index of about 1.47.
2. **Oil**: Vegetable oils are similar.
3. **No bending**: Light barely bends between them.
4. **Edges**: We see glass by its edges.
5. **Vanishes**: The glass seems to disappear.

## Related case files

- [It Better Be Boron! (DD-209)](https://detailenjoyer.com/case/it-better-be-boron/): I linked the element in borosilicate glass

## Reel vs. record

- **Note**: None needed.

## Video: See Right Through Me: Pyrex Dipped in Vegetable Oil Seems to Disappear

- Duration: 24.4 s · Published: 2024-09-27
- File: https://detailenjoyer.com/assets/videos/DAbwniuJUaF.mp4

### Transcript

Pyrex glass can appear to disappear when submerged in vegetable oil, because both materials have very similar refractive indices, meaning they bend light in nearly the same way. Light passes through the Pyrex and the oil without much distortion, making the glass nearly invisible to the naked eye. This effect occurs because our eyes rely on the bending of light to detect the edges of objects, and when their refractive indices match closely, those edges become difficult to distinguish. NOW YOU KNOW!

## Questions & answers

**Q: Why does Pyrex vanish in oil?**  
A: Light bends alike. _(Source: Write-up · Exhibit A (Index) · Wikipedia: Borosilicate glass)_

**Q: About what is Pyrex's index?**  
A: Borosilicate. _(Source: Write-up · Exhibit B (Oil) · Wikipedia: Refractive index)_

**Q: What kind of glass is Pyrex?**  
A: Heat resistant. _(Source: Write-up · Exhibit C (No bending) · Wikipedia: Refractive index)_

**Q: What do our eyes rely on?**  
A: Refraction. _(Source: Write-up · Exhibit D (Edges) · Wikipedia: Refractive index)_

**Q: What liquid is used?**  
A: Similar index. _(Source: Write-up · Exhibit E (Vanishes) · Wikipedia: Refractive index)_

## Sources

- [Wikipedia: Refractive index](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Refractive_index)
- [Wikipedia: Borosilicate glass](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Borosilicate_glass)

## Cite this case file

Easterling, Marcus. "See Right Through Me." The Detail Department (DetailEnjoyer), case file DD-332, last updated Sep 27, 2024. https://detailenjoyer.com/case/see-right-through-me/