Most Reflective Colour/Surface?

Reldar · 2 Feb 2011 at 14:28

Ok so I've been thinking lately about how reflection of light works.
Though at the moment I am rather confused about which is the most reflective colour/surface?

A well polished mirror reflects 99.99% of light and colour. And a mirrors colour is silver, right?
But the colour white is every colour reflected. This confuses me as a well polished white surface does not have the same effect as a mirror.

So how does this work? Does this mean a mirror is infact white?
I hope I am making sense lol :confused:

DAnDan · 2 Feb 2011 at 14:37

The mirror will not scatter the light it reflects, but will reflect it back near enough perfectly. Whereas the white object will reflect all colours of the light, but scatter them.

Something like that?

Docaroo · 2 Feb 2011 at 14:39

A mirror doesn't have a colour!!!!

Something "appears" to be what we call "mirrored" or "silver" as you put it because it reflects almost ALL the light that hits it, so it's "colour" is nothing - but you see reflections of the room all around you ...

Ahhh!

aardvark · 2 Feb 2011 at 14:40

its the difference between reflectance and scattering, as above.

orderoftheflame · 2 Feb 2011 at 14:50

Reldar said:
A well polished mirror reflects 99.99% of light and colour. And a mirrors colour is silver, right?

Mirrors don't have a colour.

Edit: sloooow.

Reldar · 2 Feb 2011 at 15:00

Docaroo said:
A mirror doesn't have a colour!!!!

Something "appears" to be what we call "mirrored" or "silver" as you put it because it reflects almost ALL the light that hits it, so it's "colour" is nothing - but you see reflections of the room all around you ...

Ahhh!

But a if you were to unpolish a mirror what colour would it appear as?

Docaroo said:
so it's "colour" is nothing -

Does that mean a mirror is black? Because black is a lack of colour.

CliffyBiro · 2 Feb 2011 at 15:05

White reflects the most I think.

And black the least.

Or is that just a myth about wearing black clothes meaning they absorb more heat?

Reldar · 2 Feb 2011 at 15:06

skippi90 said:
Or is that just a myth about wearing black clothes meaning they absorb more heat?

I think that would be true as black absorbs all light and the light would contain heat.

Inquisitor · 2 Feb 2011 at 15:10

A mirror doesn't have any colour. The difference is between specular and diffuse reflection, and has nothing to do with colour.

Also, "silver" isn't a colour, insofar as it describes reflective qualities rather than a particular hue.

As for black and white as colours, a perfectly white surface reflects all the light that encounters it, which is why it seems bright, while a black surface reflects none, which is why it looks dark.

Reldar · 2 Feb 2011 at 15:14

Inquisitor said:
A mirror doesn't have any colour. The difference is between specular and diffuse reflection, and has nothing to do with colour.

Also, "silver" isn't a colour, insofar as it describes reflective qualities rather than a particular hue.

As for black and white as colours, a perfectly white surface reflects all the light that encounters it, which is why it seems bright, while a black surface reflects none, which is why it looks dark.

That link is really interesting, cheers.

Inquisitor · 2 Feb 2011 at 15:29

Reldar said:
I think that would be true as black absorbs all light and the light would contain heat.

Light and heat (in this sense, at least) are just two parts of the electromagnetic spectrum. What you feel as heat is actually just far infra-red radiation.

aardvark · 2 Feb 2011 at 15:46

Inquisitor said:
Light and heat (in this sense, at least) are just two parts of the electromagnetic spectrum. What you feel as heat is actually just far infra-red radiation.

the heat you feel from light is ir radiation - lots of other forms of heat is energy transfer via a molecular vibrational mechanism.

Inquisitor · 2 Feb 2011 at 15:49

aardvark said:
the heat you feel from light is ir radiation - lots of other forms of heat is energy transfer via a molecular vibrational mechanism.

Hence why I said "in this sense, at least"

MikeHunt79 · 2 Feb 2011 at 15:49

A rough mirror eventually turns white...

aardvark · 2 Feb 2011 at 15:51

Inquisitor said:
Hence why I said "in this sense, at least"

ooops, missed that bit.