Scientific workbench
Make the assumptions
visible.
Six transparent calculations. Change the inputs, inspect the units and see what the simplest useful model says.
Photon thrust
How much force leaves with a beam?
An ideal one-way photon emitter. Set optical output power, not electrical input.
Casimir pressure
What changes when the gap shrinks?
An ideal-plate comparison. The two surfaces feel opposite forces; the assembly does not gain thrust.
Solar sail force
How much can sunlight deliver?
Change area, solar distance and reflectivity for an ideal opaque sail at normal incidence.
Force over time
What can a small force accumulate?
A constant-force, fixed-mass, nonrelativistic model. No orbit or mission trajectory is calculated.
Thermal recoil
Could heat explain the force?
Estimate a radiation-only force from a declared directional fraction of radiated power.
Rocket comparison
What does carrying propellant cost?
The ideal rocket equation gives a conventional baseline. A propellant-free mechanism has different infrastructure costs.