Radiation from the Sun reaching Earth (just outside the atmosphere) has an intensity of 1400 W/m2.
a) What would the intensity be at Mercury?
b) Assuming that Earth (and its atmosphere) behaves like a flat disk perpendicular to the Sun's rays and that all the incident energy is absorbed, calculate the force on Earth due to radiation pressure.
c) What would it be for Mercury?
d) What is the force on Mercury due to the sun's gravitational attraction?