Is it possible for light to do physical harm but......?

Question

Is it possible for light to do physical harm but......please answer!!?

NOT HARM LIKE: skin canser or somethin that is gonna burn you

i mean harm as in PUSH something

what im getting at is

use light to push objects at high speeds

Answer 1

Ever had one of those toys, shaped like a clear light bulb, with four vanes inside, white on one side and black on the other, arranged so that the vanes can spin freely inside it? When you put it in sunlight, or even artificial light, the vanes spin like crazy, even though nothing but light is touching them. Yes, light exerts pressure on material objects.

It's called a Crooke's radiometer, here's a link:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Crookes_rad...

Also, Russia attempted to test a satellite that uses a solar sail for propulsion through space. Regrettably, the rocket used to launch the satellite failed to achieve orbit.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cosmos_1

Answer 2

yes, light has particle properties and can impact other objects.  This is evidenced by radiometers.

Answer 3

Push what kind of objects? Large, small....how large and how small?

Photons have tremendous kinetic energy (½mc² where "c" is the speed of light), but have very small mass (but zero rest-mass). They can obviously impart energy......look at solar panels. They function as they do because the energy from photons (sunlight) strikes the surface of the material, imparts the energy to the electrons, freeing them to move producing a current. There is a "work function" associated with solar panels that help determine how good a solar panel they can be based on this effect.

As far as photons moving large objects...like a car...forget it. The only hope you'd have is if the car was in the vacuum of space where there's zero resistance. But then...you'd still have inertia to contend with.

Answer 4

sorry I all respect your answers but I cannot agree that light can harm you.

I know that light is a particle but do remember that it is also a wave. Light has a dual nature. Light as a particle and light as a wave.

Light is diffused remember. Now, maybe the reason why you have taken into consideration that light can push objects is because it is a particle. BUT, Photons are MASSLESS particles. =)

(please believe. I am sure of this. Photons are massless. You can check my book and we have also discussed it at school. )

One proof that photons are massless:

your eyes doesn't hurt when perceiving light. right?

I have I have helped. thank you.

Answer 5

photons are sub atomic particles that have density.

given their velocity and number,they do impart energy.

ie;nasa is currently investigating solar sails for practical applications.

Answer 6

Sunlight can't push things. It's impossible for a sunlight to push things. Only force can push things man. Once you exert force from something, you made that thing move.

See more about force at http://en.wikipedia.com/wiki/Force

Answer 7

Light (photons) exert only a tiny (but measure able) amount of pressure.  For there to be enough light to push a person around, there would be so much light and heat the person would be vaporized before any harm could be made by the pressure force of the light.  

Concentrated light can do great harm.  Lasers can cut through metal.  Lenses and mirrors can concentrate light and heat to light fires.

But it is safe to say no amount of light can push you around that would not kill you in any number of ways first.