Perfectly reflective surfaces

I was thinking, If somehow we could create a perfectly reflective surface, create a sphere with it, couldnt we technically trap LIGHT inside of it? If a surface was perfectly reflective could it still be used as a solar sail since all the energy of the light is left completely the same after it is reflected?

I just got out of highschool so I really have no idea of the theories or anything behind this, so could someone with more knowlege explain if this is possible?

>>21

Well, depends on how you think of it.  If you take the "light is a particle" approach, then you could say that the event horizon is the precise point where gravity "pulling" the light in is the same as light's motivational force away from the black hole.

I, on the other hand, prefer the "wave" approach in this situation, where light is simply red-shifted into infinity at that point and physics, as we understand it, just stops working.

Of course, I'm getting my understanding from a book written in '96, and my understanding is incomplete at best.  I imagine a great many advances have taken place since then.