In physics, a material property that measures how well a substance absorbs electromagnetic radiation.
From absorptive + -ity (suffix forming nouns of state, quality, or degree from adjectives, from Latin -itas). Scientific terms often use -ity to create abstract measure nouns.
Absorptivity is why matte black paint absorbs so much more heat than glossy white—the surface structure and molecular composition determine how efficiently a material captures radiation, which engineers exploit in everything from solar heaters to stealth aircraft.
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