One possible means of achieving space flight is to place a perfectly reflecting aluminized sheet into Earth’s orbit and to use the light from the Sun to push this solar sail. Suppose such a sail, of area 6.00 x 104 m2 and mass 6 000 kg, is placed in orbit facing the Sun.
(a) What force is exerted on the sail?
(b) What is the sail’s acceleration?
(c) How long does it take for this sail to reach the Moon, 3.84 x 108 m away? Ignore all gravitational effects, and assume a solar intensity of 1 340 W/m2.