You\'ve recently read about a chemical laser that generates a 20.0-cm-diameter,

Question

You've recently read about a chemical laser that generates a 20.0-cm-diameter, 21.0 MW laser beam. One day, after physics class, you start to wonder if you could use the radiation pressure from this laser beam to launch small payloads into orbit. To see if this might be feasible, you do a quick calculation of the acceleration of a 20.0-cm-diameter, 110 kg, perfectly absorbing block.

(a) What speed would such a block have if pushed horizontally 90.0 m along a frictionless track by such a laser?

Express your answer with the appropriate units.

Explanation / Answer

force = Power / c

= (21 x 10^6 W) / (3 x 10^8)

= 0.07 N

a = F / m = 6.36 x 10^-4 m/s^2

Applying vf^2 - vi^2 = 2 a d

v^2 - 0^2 = 2(6.36 x 10^-4) (90)

v = 0.34 m/s ..........Ans

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