What gives metals their reflective characteristics?
In: Physics
Actually this is NOT totally known as far as I know. But scientists suspect that it has to do with the free electrons (electron sea). Basically when electrons are bounded in orbits they can only absorb specific wavelengths of photons and hence, emit only those wavelenghts back.
In case of metals, the electrons are free and can absorb virtually any photon in the visible light spectrum and emit them back. So basically they reflect back whatever they absorb and voila.. act like mirrors on a level.
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