 ...An Exact Classical Mechanics leads toward Quantum Gravitation... Contents
2.0 An Alternative to Special Relativity2.1 The radiation pressure of light re-defines Inertial Mass
The quanta of light, the photons, are emitted instantly when electrons drop from higher to lower orbits in atoms. However, for the present analysis it will be imagined that it would be possible to apply a force in some way in order to increase the kinetic energy of a photon from zero, measured from local space, (i-ther) to some finite value EK. If a force F is applied at constant velocityc, then Newton's second law must be changed from:
 | [1] |
The energy supplied by force F moving distance dx will be Fdx equal to dE, so multiplying equation[1] by dx and expanding by the standard method of differentiation by parts the first result yields the factor dx/dt which is velocity v: so we obtain:  | [2] |
Here dv = 0 and v = c so we can write the integral:  | [3] |
Since all the work ∫Fdx is supplied at constant speed c it is entirely absorbed as kinetic energy i.e. EK and clearly there is an equivalent "kinetic mass" mK. Furthermore each photon of mass mK will carry momentum mKc and so if there is a flux per unit area z in numbers of photons per second falling on unit of absorption area, then the resulting rate of change of momentum per unit area will exert a pressure Pr given by:  | [4] |
This is the radiation pressure formula which has been fully confirmed by experiment, so proving that light carries momentum and therefore carries the kinetic mass mK. From this point it is possible to take two alternative approaches for obtaining an equivalent energy corresponding with rest mass m0 and a revised inertial mass. |