reflectivity

Reflectivity refers to how much light or other waves (like radar or sound) bounce off a surface rather than being absorbed or transmitted through it. It’s usually expressed as a percentage; a highly reflective surface (like a mirror) reflects most of the incoming waves, while a less reflective one (like a matte wall) absorbs or lets waves pass through. Reflectivity helps in areas such as astronomy, radar detection, and climate science by indicating the properties of surfaces or objects based on how much they reflect energy back towards the source.