What is the maximum radiation pressure exerted by sunlight in space (S = 1 350 W/m²)on a highly polished silver surface? A)1.4 *10 ^- ² Pa B)0.12 Pa C)9.0 *10 ^- ⁶ Pa D)4.5 *10 ^- ⁵ Pa E)2.3 * 10 ^- ⁶ Pa

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The radiation pressure exerted by sunlight is given by P = S/c, where S is the solar constant (1,350 W/m^2) and c is the speed of light (3x10^8 m/s). Therefore, P = 4.5x10^-6 Pa. This is the pressure exerted on a perfectly absorbing surface, so the pressure exerted on a highly polished silver surface will be less than this. The maximum possible pressure is when the surface is perfectly reflecting, which will be half of the perfectly absorbing value, so the maximum radiation pressure on a highly polished silver surface will be 2.25x10^-6 Pa. This corresponds to answer choice C.

What Is the Maximum Radiation Pressure Exerted by Sunlight in Space