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.

Required:
a. What is the pressure on an atom if light from the tweezers is totally absorbed? ?
b. If this pressure were exerted on a tritium atom, what would be its acceleration?

Answer 1

Answer:

Explanation:

a )

If it is totally absorbed pressure is calculated as follows .

Pressure = I / c where I is intensity of light falling .

= 1000 / 3 x 10⁸

= 3.33 x 10⁻⁶ N / m²

b ) weight of tritium atom

=  3 x 1.67 x 10⁻²⁷ kg

acceleration = force / mass

=    3.33x 10⁻⁶ / 3 x 1.67 x 10⁻²⁷

= .6646 x 10²¹ m /s²

= 66.46 x 10¹⁹ m / s²