Why can I see through my DCC gold cd??

[SculptorD5]

Hello, this is my first post after lurking around the forums for about a year. This question has gone through my mind everytime i play my DCC gold of Queen NIGHT AT THE OPERA. Try it yourself with one of your gold discs, hold it in front of a window or lamp, you can see right throught it like a pair of mirror sunglasses.
So, can anyone explain why this occurs? I always assumed the CD was something like a thin gold leaf in between 2 pieces of plastic... guess not.
thanks
Please don't think i'm a troll, or trying to cause trouble, just curious!:eek:

[Craig]

Remember in this case it's not important what you see, it's important what the laser "sees".

[Highway Star]

Around $30 per 3/32" see-through disc. Around $30,000* per 3/32" solid-gold disc. We can only afford the see-throughs!


*(as you can tell, I haven't a clue what the gold standard is):rolleyes:

[Mike V]

Gold can be spread much thinner (if you will) without creating the pinhole effect you may have seen on some of your older aluminum cds. As thin as the gold surface is, it gives a much more even surface to reflect from, thereby resulting in less read errors than the old aluminum CDs. I think aluminum discs have improved a great deal over the years though.

The reason you can see through it is that the gold layer is really only a handful of atoms thick. There's enough room around those atoms for light to pass. But only some. Most of it is reflected away. Same goes for the laser in your CD player. Some of the laser light will pass through, but the majority will reflect back as is intended.