definitions

radiation pressure

noun Physics.

the pressure exerted on a surface by electromagnetic radiation or by sound waves.

RELATED CONTENT

Science Terms That We All Pretend To KnowIn the spirit of scientific community and understanding, let's clear up some misconceptions around a few of the most misunderstood scientific terms. Let’s boldly go where no man has gone before.
READ MORE
What Does “Betelgeuse” Mean?How did the tenth brightest star (if we include the Sun) in the sky get the name Betelgeuse?
READ MORE

Nearby words

radiation dermatitis, radiation fog, radiation of corpus callosum, radiation pattern, radiation potential, radiation pressure, radiation pressure , radiation pyrometer, radiation resistance, radiation sickness, radiation therapy

Origin of radiation pressure

First recorded in 1900–05
Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2019

Science definitions for radiation pressure

radiation pressure

Force per unit area exerted by waves or particles of radiation, especially photons. Though photons have no mass, they do have momentum, and can transfer that momentum to other particles upon impact. The amount of pressure exerted by a given amount of radiation depends on whether the radiation is absorbed or reflected. Radiation pressure is responsible for the Casimir effect; solar radiation pressure is exploited in the design of solar sails.
The American Heritage® Science Dictionary Copyright © 2011. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.