How do solar sails work if photons don’t have mass?
In: Physics
Imagine you’re in a small boat with a big, light sail. When the wind blows, it pushes against the sail and moves the boat. Now, think about the Sun as a big lamp that shines light instead of wind.
Light is made of tiny particles called photons. Even though photons don’t have weight like you and I, they still have energy and can give a tiny push when they hit something. So, when these photons from the Sun hit the solar sail, they push it gently, just like the wind pushes a sail on a boat. This gentle push makes the solar sail move through space.
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