Poynting's vector
Poynting's vector
A vector, the outward normal component of which, when integrated over a closed surface in an electromagnetic field, represents the outward flow of energy through that surface. It is given by the equation below, where
When an electromagnetic wave is incident on a conducting or absorbing surface, theory predicts that it should exert a force on the surface in the direction of the difference between the incident and the reflected Poynting's vector. See Electric field, Electromagnetic radiation, Maxwell's equations, Radiation pressure