Albedo is...

Albedo is...

• A. A measure of how much sunlight a surface reflects
• B. A measure of how much heat a surface emits
• C. A measure of wind speed
• D. A measure of atmospheric humidity

Answer: (C)

Albedo describes how much sunlight a surface reflects. It’s the ratio of reflected solar energy to the total incoming solar energy, usually expressed as a number between 0 and 1 (or 0% to 100%). High albedo means the surface reflects most of the light—like fresh snow or a white roof—while low albedo means it absorbs more light—like dark asphalt. This reflectivity is a key part of the Earth’s energy balance, affecting local and global temperatures. It’s not about how much heat a surface emits (that’s about thermal radiation), nor about wind speed or humidity. So the defining idea is reflectivity of sunlight.

Albedo describes how much sunlight a surface reflects. It’s the ratio of reflected solar energy to the total incoming solar energy, usually expressed as a number between 0 and 1 (or 0% to 100%). High albedo means the surface reflects most of the light—like fresh snow or a white roof—while low albedo means it absorbs more light—like dark asphalt. This reflectivity is a key part of the Earth’s energy balance, affecting local and global temperatures. It’s not about how much heat a surface emits (that’s about thermal radiation), nor about wind speed or humidity. So the defining idea is reflectivity of sunlight.