Lesson Plan: Radiation Pressure on Perfectly Reflective Surfaces Physics

This lesson plan includes the objectives, prerequisites, and exclusions of the lesson teaching students how to calculate the pressure exerted on an object by light that is reflected by it.

Objectives

Students will be able to

  • recognize that light exerts a pressure,
  • recognize that the pressure exerted by light is greater if the light is reflected than if it is absorbed,
  • use 𝑃=2𝐼𝑐 to find the pressure exerted by light of a given intensity that is reflected off a surface,
  • use 𝐹=2𝐼𝐴𝑐 to find the force exerted by light of a given intensity that is reflected off a surface with area 𝐴.

Prerequisites

Students should already be familiar with

  • the idea that light can be modeled as a wave,
  • the units of light intensity: W/m2.

Exclusions

Students will not cover

  • the pressure exerted by light when it is absorbed by a surface,
  • photons,
  • photon momentum,
  • matter waves.

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