Are there any liquids that don't reflect light well?

Question

And when do solids reflect well?

Solids I can think of are crystalline or plastic, what is it about plastics that make them reflect?

Answer 1

Liquids (and solids) with lower index of refraction will reflect less light through specular reflection. That is why diamond reflects so well because of its high index of refraction.

So look up the liquid's index of refraction to get one that doesn't reflect as much.

Answer 2

A high polish will give you specular reflection, which is when you can see an image. Even black surfaces can be polished this way and appear to be reflective.

Diffuse reflection can be quite high, but any image will become blurred, and while much light is reflected, the eye may not perceive it as such. Think of snow

Answer 3

Basically, things that are lighter in color reflect more light. It's true that something can be black and shiny (like obsidian) or black and dull (like coal), but something like obidian still reflects much less light than something light in color, even if it's dull, like chalk. Some liquids that don't reflect light well include dark colored liquids like crude oil, grape juice, and cola. Solids that reflect light well include polished metals and white marble.

An object's ability to reflect light is also called "albedo," so you might find more useful information under that topic.

Answer 4

Root Beer.
Solids reflect better if they are white.