Why do some objects reflect more light than others?

[Aeoghur]

Hey all. First time posting here. Not that i know worth a damn on physics; I'm just interested. Anyways...

What are the properties of objects that reflect less light (matte) and more light (satin/gloss/etc.)?

Why does it happen?

 

[Al68]

Hey all. First time posting here. Not that i know worth a damn on physics; I'm just interested. Anyways...

What are the properties of objects that reflect less light (matte) and more light (satin/gloss/etc.)?

Why does it happen?

There's a decent explanation here: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gloss_(material_appearance )

 

[Aeoghur]

Thanks!

 

[negitron]

Note that matte and gloss are textures and do not have anything to do with the amount of light reflected; they are just different types of reflections. Matte surfaces produce diffuse reflections while glossy surfaces produce specular ones. A white matte surface still reflects more total light than a black glossy surface.

 

[mg0stisha]

Richard Feynman goes over this pretty well in the beginning of his book QED. It's really interesting, and overall a great book about an intriguing subject.