Concepts Of Physics MCQ Edition [Volume 1]
- Exam
- Concepts Of Physics MCQ Edition [Volume 1]
- Subject
- Physics
- Chapter
- Centre of Mass, Linear momentum, Collision
Concepts Of Physics MCQ Edition [Volume 1] · Physics · Centre of Mass, Linear momentum, Collision
In certain cases, light may be viewed as a stream of particles...
In certain cases, light may be viewed as a stream of particles termed photons. Each photon carries a linear momentum , where is Planck's constant and is the wavelength of the light. A beam of light having wavelength strikes a plane mirror at an angle of incidence . Determine the change in a photon's linear momentum when the beam undergoes reflection by the mirror.
Options
- A
- B
- C
- D
Correct answer
A.
Step-by-step solution
The magnitude of the initial momentum of the photon is .
Let the normal to the mirror be along the y-axis. The incident photon makes an angle of incidence with the normal.
The components of the initial momentum are:
After reflection, the angle of reflection is equal to the angle of incidence . The components of the final momentum are:
The change in momentum is given by .
The magnitude of the change in linear momentum is:
Let the normal to the mirror be along the y-axis. The incident photon makes an angle of incidence with the normal.
The components of the initial momentum are:
After reflection, the angle of reflection is equal to the angle of incidence . The components of the final momentum are:
The change in momentum is given by .
The magnitude of the change in linear momentum is: