- #1
JoAuSc
- 198
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The problem is that I'm doing what seems to be perfectly reasonable algebra but I'm getting a result that makes no sense.
Let's say a photon travels from the left and hits a stationary solar sail which is perpendicular to the light. There is perfect reflection and a change in momenta for both objects. For momentum we have:
p_iphoton + p_iSS = p_fphoton + p_fSS =>
h/c*nu1 + m*(0)^2 = h/c*nu2 + mv
h/c*(nu1-nu2) = mv
energy:
KE_iphoton + KE_iSS = KE_fphoton + KE_fSS
h*nu1 + 0 = h*nu2 + mv^2
h*(nu1-nu2) = mv^2 = c*mv => v = c
(KE_iphoton is the photon's initial kinetic energy, p_iphoton is its initial momentum, KE_fphoton is the final KE, etc.; h = Planck's constant, c = speed of light, m = mass of solar sail, v = final velocity of solar sail, nu1 = initial frequency of photon, nu2 = final frequency of photon.)
Obviously, the final speed of the solar sail isn't the speed of light. What did I do wrong?
Let's say a photon travels from the left and hits a stationary solar sail which is perpendicular to the light. There is perfect reflection and a change in momenta for both objects. For momentum we have:
p_iphoton + p_iSS = p_fphoton + p_fSS =>
h/c*nu1 + m*(0)^2 = h/c*nu2 + mv
h/c*(nu1-nu2) = mv
energy:
KE_iphoton + KE_iSS = KE_fphoton + KE_fSS
h*nu1 + 0 = h*nu2 + mv^2
h*(nu1-nu2) = mv^2 = c*mv => v = c
(KE_iphoton is the photon's initial kinetic energy, p_iphoton is its initial momentum, KE_fphoton is the final KE, etc.; h = Planck's constant, c = speed of light, m = mass of solar sail, v = final velocity of solar sail, nu1 = initial frequency of photon, nu2 = final frequency of photon.)
Obviously, the final speed of the solar sail isn't the speed of light. What did I do wrong?