Question

Optical tweezers use light from a laser to move single atoms and molecules around. Suppose the intensity of light from the tweezers is 1000 W/m2, the same as the intensity of sunlight at the surface of the Earth. (a) What is the pressure on an atom if light from the tweezers is totally absorbed? ? Pa (b) If this pressure were exerted on a tritium atom, what would be its acceleration? (The mass of a tritium atom is 5.01 ✕ 10−27 kg. Assume the cross-sectional area of the laser beam is 6.65 ✕ 10−29 m2.)

Answer 1

(a)  $3.3\cdot 10^{-6} Pa$

The radiation pressure exerted by an electromagnetic wave on a surface that totally absorbs the radiation is given by

$p=\frac{I}{c}$

where

I is the intensity of the wave

c is the speed of light

In this problem,

$I=1000 W/m^2$

and substituting $c=3\cdot 10^8 m/s$, we find the radiation pressure

$p=\frac{1000 W/m^2}{3\cdot 10^8 m/s}=3.3\cdot 10^{-6}Pa$

(b) $4.4\cdot 10^{-8} m/s^2$

Since we know the cross-sectional area of the laser beam:

$A=6.65\cdot 10^{-29}m^2$

starting from the radiation pressure found at point (a), we can calculate the force exerted on a tritium atom:

$F=pa=(3.3\cdot 10^{-6}Pa)(6.65\cdot 10^{-29} m^2)=2.2\cdot 10^{-34}N$

And then, since we know the mass of the atom

$m=5.01\cdot 10^{-27}kg$

we can find the acceleration, by using Newton's second law:

$a=\frac{F}{m}=\frac{2.2\cdot 10^{-34} N}{5.01\cdot 10^{-27} kg}=4.4\cdot 10^{-8} m/s^2$