- #1
rolaluv
- 1
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Hi,
I'm confused about reflection and absorption in materials. Is glossiness of an object determined by roughness of its surface rather than its inability to absorb visible light?
If there are dark-colored objects where one has a matte finish and the other has a glossy finish, does this mean that reflections at these surfaces (which are due to differences in refractive indices in the ray optics model) are diffuse vs. specular? In other words, will objects appear shiny if the surface is smooth and undergoes specular reflections and appear matte if reflection is diffuse?
I don't think the reflections at the surface which determines the texture of a material (shiny or matte) is due to absorption-- because if a dark object absorbs most of the incoming light, then it shouldn't reflect any light back and have a matte finish, right? So I thought every surface has some reflections because it has a different index of refraction than air, and its texture is determined by the roughness of the surface.
Am I completely mistaken on this?
Also, what is the quantum explanation of reflection?
One more point-- if my understanding of reflection is right, why are matte black objects better emitters/absorbers than shiny black objects? This contradicts my assumption where both objects absorb and reflect, but one reflects diffusely and the other reflects specularly.
I'm confused about reflection and absorption in materials. Is glossiness of an object determined by roughness of its surface rather than its inability to absorb visible light?
If there are dark-colored objects where one has a matte finish and the other has a glossy finish, does this mean that reflections at these surfaces (which are due to differences in refractive indices in the ray optics model) are diffuse vs. specular? In other words, will objects appear shiny if the surface is smooth and undergoes specular reflections and appear matte if reflection is diffuse?
I don't think the reflections at the surface which determines the texture of a material (shiny or matte) is due to absorption-- because if a dark object absorbs most of the incoming light, then it shouldn't reflect any light back and have a matte finish, right? So I thought every surface has some reflections because it has a different index of refraction than air, and its texture is determined by the roughness of the surface.
Am I completely mistaken on this?
Also, what is the quantum explanation of reflection?
One more point-- if my understanding of reflection is right, why are matte black objects better emitters/absorbers than shiny black objects? This contradicts my assumption where both objects absorb and reflect, but one reflects diffusely and the other reflects specularly.
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