Does shiny aluminum foil reflect infrared photons?

AI Thread Summary
Shiny aluminum foil does reflect infrared photons, particularly in the near-infrared spectrum. Experiments show that metallic surfaces can bounce signals, such as those from a TV remote. While aluminum is effective, gold-coated optics are preferred for far infrared applications due to their superior reflectivity. Overall, aluminum foil is a viable option for reflecting infrared light. The discussion confirms the reflective properties of aluminum foil in the infrared range.
cragar
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does shiny aluminum foil reflect infrared photons.
 
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I can't say for sure about foil, but I've bounced my TV remote signal off of metallic surfaces just as an experiment and it worked. Same for a standard mirror.
 
Yes, it does. Particularly near infrared; for far infrared, telescopes use gold-coated optics, however, since gold reflects those wavelengths better than does aluminum.
 
sweet , thanks for the responses guys .
 

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