reflectance
Sign in to savethumb|Spectral reflectance curves for aluminium (Al), [[silver (Ag), and gold (Au) metal mirrors at normal incidence]]
Article
13 sectionsContents
- Mathematical definitions
- Hemispherical reflectance
- Spectral hemispherical reflectance
- Directional reflectance
- Spectral directional reflectance
- Reflectivity
- Surface type
- Liquid reflectance
- Grating efficiency
- Other radiometric coefficients
- See also
- References
- External links
thumb|Spectral reflectance curves for aluminium (Al), [[silver (Ag), and gold (Au) metal mirrors at normal incidence]]
The reflectance of the surface of a material is its effectiveness in reflecting radiant energy. It is the fraction of incident electromagnetic power that is reflected at the boundary. Reflectance is a component of the response of the electronic structure of the material to the electromagnetic field of light, and is in general a function of the frequency, or wavelength, of the light, its polarization, and the angle of incidence. The dependence of reflectance on the wavelength is called a reflectance spectrum or spectral reflectance curve.