radiation pressure
radiation pressure
Pressure on a surface resulting from electromagnetic radiation that impinges on it. The pressure is a result of the momentum carried by the radiation. When radiation is reflected rather than absorbed, the radiation pressure is doubled. Radiation pressure can sometimes be great enough to produce a force that is useful.
This entry comes from Encyclopædia Britannica Concise.
For the full entry on radiation pressure, visit Britannica.com.
Seen & Heard 
What made you look up radiation pressure? Please tell us what you were reading, watching or discussing that led you here.
