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reflectance

American  
[ri-flek-tuhns] / rɪˈflɛk təns /

noun

Physics, Optics.
  1. the ratio of the intensity of reflected radiation to that of the radiation incident on a surface.


reflectance British  
/ rɪˈflɛktəns /

noun

  1.  ρ.  a measure of the ability of a surface to reflect light or other electromagnetic radiation, equal to the ratio of the reflected flux to the incident flux Compare transmittance absorptance

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Etymology

Origin of reflectance

First recorded in 1925–30; reflect + -ance

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

They found that, contrary to intuition, the reflectance was highest when the individual particles were separated instead of when tightly packed.

From Science Daily

They trace these electrons by mapping out the "reflectance" of the sample, or the percentage of light they reflect.

From Science Daily

The study suggests that actual CI chondrite parent bodies likely exhibit darker and flatter reflectance spectra than previously thought.

From Science Daily

Although Galileo attempted to ascertain their composition using reflectance spectroscopy, it was unsuccessful.

From Salon

The techniques included X-ray fluorescence imaging spectroscopy and reflectance hyperspectral imaging, which uses a light-dispersing spectrometer to collect and process information from across the electromagnetic spectrum.

From Washington Post