Surface Property
Definition of Terms
For any body,
Transmission + Reflection + Absorbtion = 1
or
Transmittance + Reflectance + Absorbtance = 1
or
Transmissivity + Reflectivity + Absorbtivity = 1
For an opaque body, absorptivity +
reflectivity = 1
For an gray body, emissivity + reflectivity = 1
Some Definitions:
Emissivity, epsilon: a unitless number between 0 and 1 which defines
howwell a surface emits radiation, also called emittance. This value can be
different for each wavelength. The tabulated values are usually averaged over
the infrared wavelengths. A perfect emitter is called a black body and has a
value of 1.
Absorptivity, alpha: also called absorptance, basically the same as
emissivity, however, the tabulated values are averaged over the solar
spectrum. The value represents how well a surface absorbs radiation.
Reflectivity, rho: also called reflectance. A measure of how well a
surface reflects radiation. Tabulated values are also averaged in general. A
value of 1 is a perfect reflector.
Transmissivity, tau: also called transmittance. A measure of how well
radiation passes through a material. Tabulated values are also averaged in
general. A value of 1 is a perfect transmitter.
The previous 3 values alpha (or epsilon), rho, and tau must add up to 1 for any
given wavelength.
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