Can Light and Gravity Cause a Scale to Register Weight?

[cragar]

if we had a scale with a mirror on top then we zeroed the scale and the scale was on Earth well in our case we need a stronger gravitational
field and a light beam comes by the scale and then enters the strong gravitational field
thus the light is bent into the scale and hits the mirror and bounces off would the scale register a weight? all-be it a small one. or if we had a space-craft in outter space with mirrors on it and we shined a huge laser at it would the space-craft move , for every action there is an equal but opposite reaction.

 

[Dale]

Yes. Light has momentum.

 

[cragar]

does this imply that light has mass, cause if the scale registers weight
w=mg i know p=E/c for a photon

 

[buffordboy23]

Light (a whole bunch of photons) exerts a pressure on the scale's surface. See link: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Radiation_pressure.

Weight is a force, w = mg. Pressure (radiation pressure in this case) times area is a force too, F = pA.

 

[cragar]

i see that makes sense now .