Infrared Training Center Level 1 Practice Exam 2026 - Free Infrared Certification Practice Questions and Study Guide

In infrared inspection, emissivity is how well a surface emits infrared energy compared to a perfect blackbody. High reflectivity means most of the infrared radiation incident on the surface is reflected rather than emitted. For opaque surfaces, emissivity and reflectivity add up to about one, so when reflectivity is high, emissivity is low. That’s why the statement that these surfaces reflect infrared radiation, which lowers emissivity, is true.

The other ideas don’t fit: emitting infrared strongly would require high emissivity, not high reflectivity; absorbing infrared completely would imply no reflection, which isn’t the case for reflective surfaces; and having no emissivity isn’t possible for a real surface at a finite temperature (there’s always some emission).