Force of Light
Most recent answer: 11/29/2013
- matt jackson (age 20)
westland mi usa
Hello Matt,
Yes indeed, light can generate a force. I remind you that the full relativistic formula for energy, mass, and momentum is E2 = m2c4 + p2 . Although photons have no rest-mass, m, they do carry momentum p. Now a force is generated by a transfer of momentum so a light beam incident and absorbed by an object will experience a force. This can be easily verified in the lab with a laser beam.
Even from the classical point of view electromagnetic waves can cause a force. For example the force on a charged particle is F = q(E + V x B) which implies that electromagnetic fields carry momentum. If you view a photon as a classical wave it still carries momentum.
LeeH
(published on 11/29/2013)