Low absorption , high absorption

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In summary: I was wondering if I could make a solar powered heating unit that uses water to store the heat, would that be possible? Thanks for your time!
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Vor
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hi, this might be the wronge place to post this but trying to find this info on the web is exceedingly dificult.
I need a material that is cheap has a heat insulating effect and has high transparency and permeability for al forms of the light spec rum including uv and infared.

That is part one, part two is there a way to increase the reflectivity of one side over the other as in on one side light passes through with the minimal amount of reflection and when it attempts pass through the other way it is reflected back in, I know they make 1 way mirrors but it seems more like its just highly reflective glass with a dark room.

I know this asking for a lot but I have one more question is there a cheap high absorption material with really low reflectivity,I know black paint will absorb a great deal of light and convert it to heat, but I want to absorb as much of the visible and invisible spectrum as possible and convert it to heat.

I'm just working with a project and I can't trust internet sights as they are all just trying to sell there specific products and it seems a waste to spend money on a less effective material
 
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  • #2
Part 1: quartz

Part 2: impossible. Transmission is symmetrical for any combination of linear isotropic materials. This is a consequence of reciprocity which can be derived from Maxwell's equations.

Part 3: flat black paint. You can vacuum deposit a hyperfine carbon film and improve the absorption but this is not practical for most surfaces.
 
  • #3
Thanks for the tips, I had a feeling that the might not be a way to have one side reflext while the other doesn't but I had to ask anyway

on another note, quarts is an interesting answer. Hadn't even considered it, but would that be practical on a large scale? Maybe I should clarify scale, the project I'm working on is about as tall as a man.

This is a for fun project to build a solar powered heating unit as a using water to store the hear, just some low tech fun / yard decoration...

I have a lot of free time
 

What is low absorption?

Low absorption refers to the amount of light or radiation that is absorbed by a substance. It is a measure of how much of the energy from the light or radiation is taken in by the substance rather than passing through it.

What is high absorption?

High absorption refers to the opposite of low absorption, where a substance absorbs a large amount of light or radiation. This means that less energy is able to pass through the substance and more is absorbed by it.

Why is low absorption important?

Low absorption is important in many fields of science, including optics, materials science, and environmental studies. It can affect the properties of materials, the transmission of light, and the heating of the Earth's surface.

How is low absorption measured?

Low absorption is measured using a variety of techniques depending on the type of substance being studied. Some common methods include spectrophotometry, absorption spectroscopy, and infrared spectroscopy.

What factors can affect low absorption?

Factors that can affect low absorption include the wavelength or frequency of the light or radiation, the properties of the substance being studied, and the concentration of the substance. Other environmental factors such as temperature and pressure can also play a role.

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