absorptance

[ab-sawrp-tuh ns, -zawrp-]

noun Physics, Optics.

the ratio of the amount of radiation absorbed by a surface to the amount of radiation incident upon it.

Compare reflectance, transmittance.

Origin of absorptance

1930–35; translation of German Absorptionsvermögen. See absorption, -ance

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British Dictionary definitions for absorptance

absorptance

absorption factor

noun

physics a measure of the ability of an object to absorb radiation, equal to the ratio of the absorbed radiant flux to the incident flux. For a layer of material the ratio of the flux absorbed between the entry and exit surfaces of the layer to the flux leaving the entry surface is the internal absorptanceSymbol: α Compare reflectance, transmittance

Word Origin for absorptance

C20: absorption + -ance

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