Difference between revisions of "Albedo"
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| − | '''Albedo''' is the reflection coefficent of an object to electromagnetic radiation (usually visible [[light]]). The word comes from | + | '''Albedo''' is the reflection coefficent of an object to electromagnetic radiation (usually visible [[light]]). The word comes from the Latin word ''albus'', meaning "white." |
Albedo is not expressed in any units but on a scale from 0 to 1. A pure white object would be 1 while completely black object (e.g. [[black hole]]) would have a value of zero. It is an important concept in climate change discussions where the albedo of the earth affects the amount of light and heat reflected back in to space. | Albedo is not expressed in any units but on a scale from 0 to 1. A pure white object would be 1 while completely black object (e.g. [[black hole]]) would have a value of zero. It is an important concept in climate change discussions where the albedo of the earth affects the amount of light and heat reflected back in to space. | ||
Revision as of 21:37, October 1, 2007
Albedo is the reflection coefficent of an object to electromagnetic radiation (usually visible light). The word comes from the Latin word albus, meaning "white."
Albedo is not expressed in any units but on a scale from 0 to 1. A pure white object would be 1 while completely black object (e.g. black hole) would have a value of zero. It is an important concept in climate change discussions where the albedo of the earth affects the amount of light and heat reflected back in to space.
The moon has an albedo of 0.39.