absorption coefficient

American  

noun

Physics, Optics.

1. a measure of the rate of decrease in the intensity of electromagnetic radiation, as light, as it passes through a given substance.

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Etymology

Origin of absorption coefficient

First recorded in 1895–1900

Example Sentences

Their results showed that the absorption coefficient differs by a factor of two or more when the direction of light propagation is reversed.

From Science Daily • Jan. 18, 2024

Now Physicist Millikan directly observed the absorption coefficient of the most conspicuous band in the cosmic ray spectrum.

From Time Magazine Archive

Tests are also made to determine porosity, permeability, volumetric changes in setting, absorption, coefficient of expansion, effect of oil, etc.

From Transactions of the American Society of Civil Engineers, vol. LXX, Dec. 1910 Federal Investigations of Mine Accidents, Structural Materials and Fuels. Paper No. 1171 by Wilson, Herbert M.