radiation pressure

Question

Radiation exerts pressure because it carries:

RankGuru · Accepted Answer

EM waves carry both energy ($E$) and **momentum** ($p = E/c$).
- When waves hit a surface, they transfer this momentum.
- By Newton's second law, the rate of momentum transfer is the **Force**.
- Force per unit area is **Radiation Pressure**. This is useable for 'Solar Sails' in space.

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radiation pressure

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