When a light beam encounters a material, radiation can be absorbed or reflected by the surface. Metals have high reflectivity, which explains their shiny appearance. Since the reflectance of light by ...When a light beam encounters a material, radiation can be absorbed or reflected by the surface. Metals have high reflectivity, which explains their shiny appearance. Since the reflectance of light by metals is high their absorption is low because the sum of both must correspond to 100% of the incident light. Since absorptivity equals emissivity by the Kirkhoff's Law, that is also low for metals.
When a light beam encounters a material, radiation can be absorbed or reflected by the surface. Metals have high reflectivity, which explains their shiny appearance. Since the reflectance of light by ...When a light beam encounters a material, radiation can be absorbed or reflected by the surface. Metals have high reflectivity, which explains their shiny appearance. Since the reflectance of light by metals is high their absorption is low because the sum of both must correspond to 100% of the incident light. Since absorptivity equals emissivity by the Kirkhoff's Law, that is also low for metals.
