Radiation Pressure - Theory

Theory

It may be shown by electromagnetic theory, by quantum theory, or by thermodynamics, making no assumptions as to the nature of the radiation, that the pressure against a surface exposed in a space traversed by radiation uniformly in all directions is equal to one third of the total radiant energy per unit volume within that space.

Quantitatively, this can be expressed as

,

for a radiation energy density, at a temperature . Here, the radiation constant, where is the Stefan-Boltzmann constant, and is the speed of light.

Read more about this topic:  Radiation Pressure

Famous quotes containing the word theory:

    Could Shakespeare give a theory of Shakespeare?
    Ralph Waldo Emerson (1803–1882)

    every subjective phenomenon is essentially connected with a single point of view, and it seems inevitable that an objective, physical theory will abandon that point of view.
    Thomas Nagel (b. 1938)

    The theory [before the twentieth century] ... was that all the jobs in the world belonged by right to men, and that only men were by nature entitled to wages. If a woman earned money, outside domestic service, it was because some misfortune had deprived her of masculine protection.
    Rheta Childe Dorr (1866–1948)