absorption coefficient

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Word: Absorption Coefficient

Part of Speech: Noun

Definition: The absorption coefficient is a measurement that tells us how much light or other types of electromagnetic radiation (like heat or radio waves) are absorbed by a material as it passes through that material. It shows how quickly the intensity (or strength) of the light decreases when it enters a substance.

In simple terms, if you shine a light through a piece of glass, the absorption coefficient helps us understand how much light gets absorbed by the glass and how much continues to pass through.

Usage Instructions:

• You can use "absorption coefficient" mainly in scientific contexts, especially in physics, chemistry, and engineering when discussing materials and their interaction with light or radiation.
• It is often accompanied by values, such as "The absorption coefficient of this material is 0.5."

Example:

• "The absorption coefficient of water is higher than that of air, which is why we cannot see as far underwater as we can in the air."

Advanced Usage:

• In scientific research, the absorption coefficient can vary depending on factors such as the wavelength of the light, the temperature of the material, and its physical state (solid, liquid, gas).
• It is also related to other concepts in optics and materials science, such as transmittance (how much light passes through) and reflectance (how much light bounces back).

Word Variants:

• Absorptance: The fraction of incident radiant energy that is absorbed by a material.
• Transmittance: The fraction of light that passes through a material.

Different Meanings:

• While "absorption coefficient" primarily relates to light and radiation, in other contexts, "absorption" can refer to the process of taking in substances (like nutrients in biology) or ideas (like learning).

Synonyms:

• Absorptivity (in some contexts)
• Attenuation coefficient (in the context of how much the light is weakened)

Idioms and Phrasal Verbs:

• There are no specific idioms or phrasal verbs that use "absorption coefficient" directly since it is a technical term. However, you might hear phrases like "absorb information" or "absorb the surroundings," which refer to taking in knowledge or the environment, respectively.

Summary:

The absorption coefficient is an important concept in science that helps us understand how materials interact with light and radiation.

Academic

Noun

1. a measure of the rate of decrease in the intensity of electromagnetic radiation (as light) as it passes through a given substance; the fraction of incident radiant energy absorbed per unit mass or thickness of an absorber
   • absorptance equals 1 minus transmittance

Synonyms

• coefficient of absorption
• absorptance