How do I simulate a light sail?

Open this page and use the live Curved Mirrors tool below — set your inputs and the simulation runs instantly in your browser using real numerics. No install, no account needed.

Yes. The simulation runs free in your browser. A one-time unlock or a Pro plan adds advanced parameters, saved presets, data import, and clean exports.

Can I use my own numbers?

Absolutely — every input is adjustable, and with data import you can drive a light sail from your own measurements.

Use case · powered by Curved Mirrors

Curved Mirrors for a light sail

Simulate a light sail live in your browser. This runs the real Curved Mirrors solver — adjust the inputs, watch it respond instantly, and export the result. No install, no account.

For:Students Researchers Educators Engineers Hobbyists & Makers K-12 Students First Responders

Mirror Ray TracingLive

concave & convex · mirror equation

Controls

Presets

Trace principal rays off a curved mirror to find the image. Concave mirrors focus and can flip the image; convex mirrors always give a small upright virtual image.

Focal length

Object distance

▶ Run in Python

Data Inspector

Mirrorconcave

Focal length120px

Equation1/v + 1/u = 1/f

Governing equation

\frac{1}{f} = \frac{1}{d _{o}} + \frac{1}{d _{i}}, M = - \frac{d _{i}}{d _{o}} = - 1.20 (f = 120, d_{o} = 220)

Reading this result: Object between F and C: the image is real, inverted, and magnified (-1.20×), projected in front of the mirror.

Runs locally in your browser — free forever. Scale to the cloud when reality gets heavy.

or unlock everything with Pro →

About this simulation

The full Curved Mirrors tool models a light sail with the same numerics engineers and scientists use — running entirely client-side. Change any parameter and the result updates in real time, so you can build intuition, check a design, or teach the concept without spreadsheets or installs.

More you can do with Curved Mirrors

Curved Mirrors for a camera lens Curved Mirrors for a laser beam Curved Mirrors for a fiber-optic cable Curved Mirrors for a microscope Curved Mirrors for a telescope Curved Mirrors for a prism Curved Mirrors for a rainbow Curved Mirrors for a hologram

Other ways to simulate a light sail

Snell's Law for a light sail Diffraction Grating for a light sail Prism Dispersion for a light sail Laser Cavity for a light sail Fiber Optics for a light sail Gaussian Beam for a light sail

Frequently asked questions

How do I simulate a light sail?: Open this page and use the live Curved Mirrors tool below — set your inputs and the simulation runs instantly in your browser using real numerics. No install, no account needed.
Is it free?: Yes. The simulation runs free in your browser. A one-time unlock or a Pro plan adds advanced parameters, saved presets, data import, and clean exports.
Can I use my own numbers?: Absolutely — every input is adjustable, and with data import you can drive a light sail from your own measurements.