Try it on paper first. A hint, the key idea and the worked solution are here when you need them.
Sunlight near the Earth has an intensity of W/m². It falls straight on a panel of area m². Use m/s. Find the radiation pressure if the panel is black, the pressure if it is a perfect mirror, and the force on the black panel.
A wave of energy carries the momentum . Light that is absorbed gives the force , and light that is reflected straight back gives twice that. For a beam of power that meets a mirror at an angle to the normal, along the normal.
Have you tried it?
Work it out on paper first. It is fine to get stuck or make a mistake: that is how we learn. When you are ready, go through the solution one step at a time, and check each step against your own.
Step 1. The black panel. .
Step 2. The mirror. .
Step 3. The force on the black panel. .
Answer: ; ; .
Check. The force is about the weight of a grain of sand, milligram. It is small, but nothing opposes it in space.
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