Question

A communications satellite orbiting the earth has solar panels that completely absorb all sunlight incident upon them. The total area A of the panels is 10m2.
1) The intensity of the sun's radiation incident upon the earth is about I=1.4kW/m2. Suppose this is the value for the intensity of sunlight incident upon the satellite's solar panels. What is the total solar power P absorbed by the panels?

Express your answer numerically in kilowatts to two significant figures.

2) What is the total force F on the panels exerted by radiation pressure from the sunlight?

Express the total force numerically, to two significant figures, in units of newtons.

Answer 1

Answer:

1) 14 kW

2) 4.67 x 10^-5 N

Explanation:

Area of solar panel = 10 m^2

Intensity of sun's radiation incident on earth = 1.4 kW/m^2

Solar power absorbed = ?

We know that the intensity of radiation on a given area is

$I$ = $\frac{P}{A}$

where I is the intensity of the radiation

P is the power absorbed due to this intensity on a given area

A is the area on which this radiation is incident

From the equation, we have

P = IA

P = 1.4 kW/m^2  x  10 m^2 = 14 kW

b) For a perfect absorbing surface, the radiation pressure is given as

p = I/c

where p is the radiation pressure

I is the incident light intensity = 1.4 kW/m^2 = 1.4 x 10^3 kW/m^2

c is the speed of light = 3 x 10^8 m/s

substituting values, we have

p = (1.4 x 10^3)/(3 x 10^8) = 4.67 x 10^-6 Pa

we know that Force = pressure x area

therefore force on the solar panels is

F = 4.67 x 10^-6 x 10 = 4.67 x 10^-5 N