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Name: Simon
Status: student
Age: 30s
Location: N/A
Country: N/A
Date: 2000-2001
Question:
I have heard that soot is a good emmitter/absorber of blackbody radiation. I have also heard that shine metals are good reflecters of blackbody radiation. I have two questions:

Is black spray paint a good emmitter/absorber, like soot, of blackbody radiation?

Is chrome a good reflecter of blackbody radiation?

Replies:
Black spray paint is not as good as soot [or black felt available from Edmund's Scientific] because it forms a shiny coating -- at least compared to soot. This shiny coating reflects some light [You can see your image in it.] so it is not absorbing all the light that falls upon it.

Polished chrome is a good reflector, not as good as aluminum, silver, and gold, but pretty good.

One technicality. When you talk about "blackbody radiation" you have to include, not only visible light, but ultraviolet and infrared radiation. It is possible to have good/bad absorbance/reflectance in the visible but not in other parts of the electromagnetic spectrum outside the visible range of 400-700 nanometers.

Vince Calder


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