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:
“[Anarchism] is the philosophy of the sovereignty of the individual. It is the theory of social harmony. It is the great, surging, living truth that is reconstructing the world, and that will usher in the Dawn.”
—Emma Goldman (18691940)
“The theory of the Communists may be summed up in the single sentence: Abolition of private property.”
—Karl Marx (18181883)
“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 (18661948)