a*
CIELab color space coordinate defining the red/green axis

a
Lab color space coordinate defining the red/green axis

Absorbance
Quantity of light absorbed in a transmission measurement calculated by the equation: -log T/100

Absorption
The conversion of light or other electromagnetic radiation into heat energy. This light energy is not capable of being reflected back to an observer. The selective absorption of light gives us our perception of color.

b*
CIELab color space coordinate defining the yellow/blue axis.

b
Lab color space coordinate defining the yellow/blue axis.

Black Body
A hollow heated chamber whose color depends on its temperature, not its composition.

Brightness
A description of colored samples based upon the combination of lightness and saturation. When used with reference to light sources, it refers to lightness only.

Berger Whiteness
A whiteness index option in the general color QC program.