Which term best describes how shiny an object appears?

Which term best describes how shiny an object appears?

• A. Luster
• B. Mass
• C. Color
• D. Conductivity

Answer: (A)

Shininess describes how a surface reflects light, and that idea is captured by the term luster. Luster is an optical property that tells you how bright or reflective a surface looks. A polished metal has high luster, appearing very shiny, while a dull rock has low luster and looks matte. This is different from color, which is the hue you perceive based on reflected wavelengths; mass, which is about how much matter there is; and conductivity, which is about how well a material conducts electricity or heat. So the word that best describes how shiny an object appears is luster.

Shininess describes how a surface reflects light, and that idea is captured by the term luster. Luster is an optical property that tells you how bright or reflective a surface looks. A polished metal has high luster, appearing very shiny, while a dull rock has low luster and looks matte. This is different from color, which is the hue you perceive based on reflected wavelengths; mass, which is about how much matter there is; and conductivity, which is about how well a material conducts electricity or heat. So the word that best describes how shiny an object appears is luster.