The “color” black arises because a surface absorbs most wavelengths of visible light.
So then, how are some black surfaces highly reflective and/or glossy? E.g. sunlight reflecting off of a black car
In: Physics
When light hits a surface, parts of it bounces off (reflected). The remainder goes through (transmitted) or gets absorbed.
Black colored objects absorb most of the visible wavelengths of light that don’t get reflected. The portion that does get reflected can produce a glossy finish if the surface is very smooth or polished. You can sometimes purposely add a glossy finish by applying a separate coating layer. This top coat increases the reflection before the light hits the black paint to be absorbed.
Matte surfaces reflect light at a random angle, whereas glossy surfaces reflect it light like a mirror, at what’s called the angle of incidence, which more or less is the angle something bounces off a flat surface.
The darkness of a color is determined by the percentage of light reflected, with smaller percentage creating darker colors.
Something that only reflects a small percentage of the light, but that reflected light bounces the same way light bounces off a mirror, will be dark and glossy.
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[https://www.reddit.com/r/explainlikeimfive/comments/lraquf/eli5_how_do_mirrors_work/](https://www.reddit.com/r/explainlikeimfive/comments/lraquf/eli5_how_do_mirrors_work/)
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[https://www.reddit.com/r/explainlikeimfive/comments/gqkcc3/eli5_how_are_black_surfaces_able_to_be_glossy/](https://www.reddit.com/r/explainlikeimfive/comments/gqkcc3/eli5_how_are_black_surfaces_able_to_be_glossy/)
[https://www.reddit.com/r/explainlikeimfive/comments/4s1kcs/eli5_how_can_you_have_a_glossy_or_shiny_black/](https://www.reddit.com/r/explainlikeimfive/comments/4s1kcs/eli5_how_can_you_have_a_glossy_or_shiny_black/)
[https://www.reddit.com/r/explainlikeimfive/comments/5lzh0u/eli5_how_can_something_be_both_black_and_glossy/](https://www.reddit.com/r/explainlikeimfive/comments/5lzh0u/eli5_how_can_something_be_both_black_and_glossy/)
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[https://www.reddit.com/r/explainlikeimfive/comments/egatl6/eli5_if_black_doesnt_reflect_any_light_then_why/](https://www.reddit.com/r/explainlikeimfive/comments/egatl6/eli5_if_black_doesnt_reflect_any_light_then_why/)
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