What term describes how much solar radiation is reflected by a surface?

• A. Insolation
• B. Albedo
• C. Absorption
• D. Transmission

Answer: (B)

Albedo is the measure of how much solar radiation is reflected by a surface. It’s a ratio (or percentage) of the incident sunlight that bounces off rather than being absorbed. Surfaces with high albedo, like fresh snow or light-colored ice, reflect most of the sunlight, while dark surfaces with low albedo, such as asphalt, absorb more energy. This concept helps explain why some surfaces stay cooler while others heat up.

This differs from insolation, which is the total amount of solar radiation reaching a surface; absorption, which is how much energy is taken in after accounting for reflection; and transmission, which is energy that passes through a material. Albedo specifically describes the reflectivity of the surface.