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Old 28th June 2002 | 05:39
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Joined: Aug 1998
: ATPL
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From: Ex-pat Aussie in the UK
Hmm, I typed in the original comment thinking about the absorbtion of black surfaces, and that a black surface will absorb more radiation than a white one, so I wasn't really thinking about what I was saying. Mea Culpa! I stand corrected.

Here is how Encyclopedia Britannica puts it:

...The rate at which a body radiates (or absorbs) thermal radiation depends upon the nature of the surface as well. Objects that are good emitters are also good absorbers (Kirchhoff's radiation law). A blackened surface is an excellent emitter as well as an excellent absorber. If the same surface is silvered, it becomes a poor emitter and a poor absorber.
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