Sunday, September 28, 2008

Fundamentals: Reflective and absorbing surface

When light falls on reflecting surface the force it produced on it is twice that of absorbing surface. Light is seen as a stream of photons hence it is like molecules hitting the wall. Similar to mechanics, if a molecule hit and rebound from the wall with the same speed , the change in momentum is 2mv . A solar sail ought to be made of a reflective surface for greater propulsion.