If sunlight can be conceived of as a beam of photons, each of which carries a ce
ID: 1505121 • Letter: I
Question
If sunlight can be conceived of as a beam of photons, each of which carries a certain amount of energy and momentum, why don't we experience (or feel) any recoil as these particles collide with our bodies when, say, we're at the beach on a sunny day?
A.Since photons collide with our bodies at such a high frequency we can't feel the individual photons.
B.The photons undergo destructive interference and cancel each other out before they can collide with our bodies.
C.Our bodies are simply too massive to be noticeably affected by the tiny amount of momentum the photons deliver.
D.Because the photons are colliding with our bodies at all angles, the forces cancel out and the net effect is zero.
Explanation / Answer
Option C) is correct
Reason: The forces generated by radiation pressure are generally too small to be detected under everyday circumstances.
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