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Radiation Pressure from Intensity and Area Calculator

Compute radiation pressure on a surface from light intensity.

Calculates radiation pressure P_rad = I/c for a perfectly absorbing surface and P_rad = 2I/c for a perfectly reflecting surface, where I is the intensity in W/m² and c is the speed of light.

Daniel Oh By Daniel Oh
Published Last reviewed 1 min read

Inputs

W/m²
m²

Results

Enter values and click Calculate to see results.
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How to use this calculator

  1. Fill in the inputs above using the units you already have.
  2. Values update automatically as you type — no submit button needed.
  3. Hover any result row for the underlying formula and intermediate values.

Formula

Absorbing: P = I / c; Reflecting: P = 2I / c

In depth

Calculates radiation pressure P_rad = I/c for a perfectly absorbing surface and P_rad = 2I/c for a perfectly reflecting surface, where I is the intensity in W/m² and c is the speed of light.