What are the two main ways energy can interact with surfaces?

The two main ways energy can interact with surfaces are through absorption and reflection. When energy, such as light, encounters a surface, it can either be absorbed by that surface or reflected off of it.

Absorption occurs when the energy is taken in by the material, often converting it to another form, such as heat. This is significant in various contexts, such as understanding how different materials behave in terms of insulation or energy efficiency.

Reflection, on the other hand, happens when the energy bounces off the surface instead of passing through or being absorbed. This principle is crucial for applications such as mirrors, where the goal is to maximize the amount of light that is reflected.

Both absorption and reflection are fundamental concepts in the study of energy interactions with materials, and understanding these processes is essential for fields such as physics, engineering, and architecture.