How the Radiation Pressure Calculator Works

Radiation pressure refers to the force per unit area exerted by electromagnetic radiation on a surface. This calculator estimates the radiation pressure based on the intensity of the light source and whether the light is absorbed or reflected by the surface.

Inputs:

Intensity (I): You can either provide a custom intensity value (in W/m²) or choose from predefined light sources such as sunlight or laser.

Reflection Type: Select whether the light is reflected or absorbed by the surface. Reflected light exerts more pressure than absorbed light.

Surface Area (optional): You can optionally enter the surface area (in m²) to calculate the total force on the surface due to the radiation pressure.

How to calculate radiation pressure:

The calculator uses the following formulas based on whether the light is reflected or absorbed:

For absorbed light: Radiation Pressure (Pa) = I / c

For reflected light: Radiation Pressure (Pa) = (2 * I) / c

Where:

I is the intensity of the light (in W/m²)
c is the speed of light (in m/s), approximately 300,000,000 m/s

The result is shown in Pascals (Pa), which is the standard unit for measuring pressure.

Why Use Our Calculator?

Our Radiation Pressure Calculator offers several benefits:

Accuracy: Provides precise calculations based on the latest scientific data.
Ease of Use: User-friendly interface that requires minimal input.
Instant Results: Get results in real-time with just a few clicks.

Examples of Radiation Pressure Calculations

Here are a few examples of how our calculator can be used:

Calculate the radiation pressure from sunlight or a laser on a surface.

For Sunlight

The radiation pressure of sunlight can be calculated as follows:

1. The formula for radiation pressure is:
   Radiation Pressure (Pa) = I / c  (for absorbed light)
   Radiation Pressure (Pa) = (2 * I) / c  (for reflected light)

2. For Sunlight (I = 1000 W/m²):
   - Intensity (I) = 1000 W/m²
   - Speed of light (c) = 300,000,000 m/s

3. Calculation:
   Radiation Pressure (Pa) = 1000 / 300,000,000 = 3.33e-6 Pa (for absorbed light)
   Radiation Pressure (Pa) = (2 * 1000) / 300,000,000 = 6.67e-6 Pa (for reflected light)

4. Result:
   The radiation pressure of sunlight (absorbed) is 3.33e-6 Pa and (reflected) is 6.67e-6 Pa.

For Laser

The radiation pressure from a laser (1,000,000 W/m²) is calculated as follows:

1. The formula for radiation pressure is:
   Radiation Pressure (Pa) = I / c  (for absorbed light)
   Radiation Pressure (Pa) = (2 * I) / c  (for reflected light)

2. For Laser (I = 1,000,000 W/m²):
   - Intensity (I) = 1,000,000 W/m²
   - Speed of light (c) = 300,000,000 m/s

3. Calculation:
   Radiation Pressure (Pa) = 1,000,000 / 300,000,000 = 3.33e-3 Pa (for absorbed light)
   Radiation Pressure (Pa) = (2 * 1,000,000) / 300,000,000 = 6.67e-3 Pa (for reflected light)

4. Result:
   The radiation pressure of the laser (absorbed) is 3.33e-3 Pa and (reflected) is 6.67e-3 Pa.