Absorptance is a term used to describe the degree to which a material or object absorbs radiant energy. The spelling of "absorptance" is derived from its root word "absorb," meaning to take in or soak up, and the suffix "-ance," which means the state or quality of. The word is pronounced /əbˈsɔːptəns/, with the stress on the second syllable. The phonetic transcription shows that the word begins with the schwa sound, followed by the stressed syllable pronounced with a short "o" sound.
Absorptance is a term used in the field of physics and engineering to describe the ability of a material or surface to absorb electromagnetic radiation, such as light, heat, or radio waves. It is a measure of the efficiency with which an object or material can take in or absorb radiant energy.
In the context of optics, absorptance is particularly relevant as it refers to the ratio between the absorbed radiant power by a surface or medium to the incident radiant power upon it. It is often denoted by the symbol "A" and is expressed as a decimal or percentage. For instance, an absorptance of 0.75 indicates that 75% of the incident radiation is absorbed by the material.
Absorptance depends on various factors, including the properties of the material, the wavelength of the radiation, and the angle of incidence. Different materials have different absorptance values, with some being highly absorptive and others being highly reflective. For example, dark and opaque materials, such as black plastic or asphalt, usually have high absorptance values across a broad range of wavelengths. On the other hand, materials like metals tend to have lower absorptance values and are more reflective.
Understanding the absorptance of materials is crucial in many fields, such as solar energy, materials science, and optics, as it helps predict how much energy or radiation a material will absorb and how efficiently it will convert it into another form of energy, like heat.
The word absorptance is derived from the verb absorb, which dates back to the early 15th century. The term itself was coined in the mid-20th century by combining absorb with the suffix -ance, denoting a state or quality. Absorb originates from the Latin word absorbere, which means to swallow up or to suck in.