OTish :D Colors of Cases for Fedora was: Re: Open Letter

[Robert Myers]

On Thu, Aug 12, 2010 at 12:04 AM, g <geleem at bellsouth.net> wrote:
> On 08/12/2010 02:43 AM, Tim wrote:
> <snip>
>
>> Are your cases under bright lighting, or in the sunlight?  If not, I'd
>> suspect that casing colour wouldn't be significant.  Colour's more of an
>> issue about absorbing heat, than radiating it.
>
> you left out the 'basic of the theory'.
>
> color/colour would/may be less relevant compared to if case is a
> dark green or light green.
>
> dark colors or light colors equating to black or white.
>

Kirchoff's Law states that, at thermal equilibrium, the absorptivity
and the emissivity of a body are equal at all wavelenths, angles, and
polarizations.  A flat black finish would be the most perfect emitter
possible.  A flat green finish would be inferior as an emitter because
it is reflecting light in the green, even if not at other wavelengths.

The story is more complicated, though, because shiny black cases
reflect light.  A shiny green case would probably be inferior as an
emitter, and a "light" green, which reflects at a broad spectrum to
yield a less saturated green, would be a poorer emitter still.

Robert.