Question

Tin Oxide had been used between about 1000 B.C. and 600 B.C. for which purpose?

• A. turning opaque while transparent
• B. turning - transparent to opaque white
• C. turning opaque blue to light blue
• D. turning transparent to textual effect

Hint:

Logic Tip: Tin Oxide ($SnO_2$) = White Opacifier. It makes clear glass look like white milk.

Answer 1

The Correct Option is B

Concept:
In ceramic glaze chemistry, specific metallic oxides are added to a base glaze to alter its visual properties, such as color and opacity.

Step 1:
Tin oxide ($SnO_2$) is classically known in ceramics as an opacifier. When added to a clear or transparent glaze recipe, it does not dissolve completely during the firing process.

Step 2:
Because the tin oxide particles remain suspended in the glass matrix, they scatter light rather than letting it pass through. This optical scattering effect effectively turns a transparent glaze into a solid, opaque white glaze.

Step 3:
Historically, potters in the ancient Near East (between 1000 B.C. and 600 B.C.) began using tin oxide to imitate the pristine white appearance of Chinese porcelain or to create a smooth, blank canvas for overglaze painting (which later evolved into the Maiolica and Delftware traditions).

Step 4:
Since tin oxide's primary function in this context is to render a transparent glaze opaque and white, Option (2) accurately describes this mechanism. \[ \boxed{\text{(2) turning - transparent to opaque white}} \]