What term defines the ability of a substance to reject or reflect incoming solar radiation?

The term that defines the ability of a substance to reject or reflect incoming solar radiation is albedo. This concept measures the reflectivity of a surface, specifically how much sunlight is reflected back into the atmosphere rather than absorbed. A surface with a high albedo reflects most of the incoming solar radiation, while a low albedo indicates that more radiation is absorbed rather than reflected.

For instance, fresh snow has a high albedo because it reflects a significant amount of solar energy, while dark asphalt has a low albedo as it absorbs most of the sunlight. Understanding albedo is crucial in climate studies and meteorology as it influences local temperatures, weather patterns, and the overall energy balance of the Earth.

Absorption refers to the process where a substance takes in solar radiation rather than reflecting it. Transmissivity deals with how much light passes through a material rather than reflecting or absorbing it. Refraction pertains to the bending of light rays when they pass through different mediums. These terms are related to the behavior of light and solar radiation, but they do not define the reflective properties of a substance as precisely as albedo does.