Understanding an object's emissivity, or its characteristic "radiance" is a critical component in the proper handling of infrared measurements. Concisely, emissivity is the ratio of radiation emitted by a surface or blackbody and its theoretical radiation predicted from Planck's law. [W(L,T)=C1/(L^5*(exp(C2/LT)-1)] A material's surface emissivity is measured by the amount of energy emitted when the surface is directly observed. There are many variables that affect a specific object's emissivity, such as the wavelength of interest, field of view, the geometric shape of the blackbody, and temperature. However, for the purposes and applications of the infrared thermometer user, a comprehensive table showing the emissivity at corresponding temperatures of various surfaces and objects is displayed. For more detailed and technical presentation of emissivity, please contact ZyTemp directly.