# Problem: In the 25-ft Space Simulator facility at NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory, a bank of overhead arc lamps can produce light of intensity 2500W/m2 at the floor of the facility. (This simulates the intensity of sunlight near the planet Venus.)A) Find the average radiation pressure (in pascals) on a totally reflecting section of the floor.B) Find the average radiation pressure (in atmospheres) on a totally reflecting section of the floor.

###### FREE Expert Solution

For an object where the waves are totally reflected, the radiation pressure is given by:

$\overline{){{\mathbf{P}}}_{\mathbf{r}\mathbf{a}\mathbf{d}}{\mathbf{=}}\frac{\mathbf{2}\mathbf{I}}{\mathbf{c}}}$

A)

From the boxed equation:

${\mathbit{P}}_{\mathbf{rad}}\mathbf{=}\frac{\mathbf{\left(}\mathbf{2}\mathbf{\right)}\mathbf{\left(}\mathbf{2500}\mathbf{\right)}}{\mathbf{3}\mathbf{.}\mathbf{0}\mathbf{×}{\mathbf{10}}^{\mathbf{8}}}$

###### Problem Details

In the 25-ft Space Simulator facility at NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory, a bank of overhead arc lamps can produce light of intensity 2500W/m2 at the floor of the facility. (This simulates the intensity of sunlight near the planet Venus.)

A) Find the average radiation pressure (in pascals) on a totally reflecting section of the floor.

B) Find the average radiation pressure (in atmospheres) on a totally reflecting section of the floor.