Term: transmittance, \(T\), \(\tau\) https://doi.org/10.1351/goldbook.T06484 Definition: The ratio of the transmitted radiant power (P λ) to that incident on the sample (P λ 0): \[T=\frac{P_{\lambda }}{P_{\lambda }^{0}}\] Internal transmittance refers to energy loss by absorption, whereas the total transmittance is that due to absorption, reflection, scatter, etc. Related Terms: 1) radiant power (http://doi.org/10.1351/goldbook.R05046). 2) absorbance (http://doi.org/10.1351/goldbook.A00028). 3) attenuance (http://doi.org/10.1351/goldbook.A00513). 4) beer–lambert law (http://doi.org/10.1351/goldbook.B00626). Source: Green Book, 2nd ed., p. 32 (https://goldbook.iupac.org/files/pdf/green_book_2ed.pdf) Citation: 'transmittance, \(T\), \(\tau\)' in IUPAC Compendium of Chemical Terminology, 5th ed. International Union of Pure and Applied Chemistry; 2025. Online version 5.0.0, 2025. https://doi.org/10.1351/goldbook.T06484 License: The IUPAC Gold Book is licensed under Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike CC BY-SA 4.0 International (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/) for individual terms. Disclaimer: The International Union of Pure and Applied Chemistry (IUPAC) is continuously reviewing and, where needed, updating terms in the Compendium of Chemical Terminology (the IUPAC Gold Book). Users of these terms are encouraged to include the version of a term with its use and to check regularly for updates to term definitions that you are using.