Albedo
Albedo
Albedo (/ælˈbiːdoʊ/; from Latin albedo, meaning 'whiteness') is the measure of the diffuse reflection of solar radiation out of the total solar radiation and measured on a scale from 0, corresponding to a black body that absorbs all incident radiation, to 1, corresponding to a body that reflects all incident radiation.
Etymology
The term albedo was introduced into optics by Johann Heinrich Lambert in his 1760 work Photometria. It is derived from Latin albedo "whiteness", in turn from albus "white". The word was used in the Middle Ages to mean whiteness and has been used in scientific parlance since the 19th century.
Related Terms
- Reflectance: The fraction of incident electromagnetic power that is reflected at an interface.
- Absorptance: The fraction of the radiation absorbed by a body.
- Transmittance: The fraction of incident light at a specified wavelength that passes through a sample.
- Radiation: The emission of energy as electromagnetic waves or as moving subatomic particles.
- Solar Radiation: Radiant energy emitted by the sun from a nuclear fusion reaction that creates electromagnetic energy.
See Also
References
External links
- Medical encyclopedia article on Albedo
- Wikipedia's article - Albedo
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