What does the term albedo describe?

What does the term albedo describe?

• A. Reflectivity of a surface
• B. Thermal emissivity
• C. Surface roughness
• D. Color wavelength

Answer: (B)

Albedo describes how reflective a surface is—the fraction of incoming light that the surface reflects. It’s a ratio, usually expressed from 0 to 1: a high albedo means most light is reflected (like fresh snow), while a low albedo means most light is absorbed (like dark pavement). This concept is about reflectivity, not about emitting heat. Thermal emissivity refers to how efficiently a surface emits thermal radiation, which is a separate property. Surface roughness can influence how light is scattered and perceived, but it doesn’t define the reflective fraction itself. Color wavelength relates to which colors are seen, not how much light is reflected overall. So albedo is best understood as the reflectivity of a surface.

Albedo describes how reflective a surface is—the fraction of incoming light that the surface reflects. It’s a ratio, usually expressed from 0 to 1: a high albedo means most light is reflected (like fresh snow), while a low albedo means most light is absorbed (like dark pavement). This concept is about reflectivity, not about emitting heat. Thermal emissivity refers to how efficiently a surface emits thermal radiation, which is a separate property. Surface roughness can influence how light is scattered and perceived, but it doesn’t define the reflective fraction itself. Color wavelength relates to which colors are seen, not how much light is reflected overall. So albedo is best understood as the reflectivity of a surface.