What are the tiny particles in a laser beam ?

Darkst4r · 19 Jan 2011 at 21:05

I bought a green laser pointer the other week and have been messing around with it quite a bit !

I've noticed that in the beam you can see particles travelling up and/or down the beam. What are they ? Is it just dust from the room or what ?

Freefaller · 19 Jan 2011 at 21:05

My guess would be that it's just dust in the air.

Mason- · 19 Jan 2011 at 21:07

It's dust,

On a sunny day close the curtains.

Leave a small gap in the curtains.

Watch the stream of light that comes in from the side.

You'll see little bits floating around.

It's dust.

Darkst4r · 19 Jan 2011 at 21:07

Wow, thats an awful lot of dust swirling around. Weird to imagine were breathing that stuff in all the time but never usually see it.

Mason- · 19 Jan 2011 at 21:08

Darkst4r said:
Wow, thats an awful lot of dust swirling around. Weird to imagine were breathing that stuff in all the time but never usually see it.

That's why you're meant to inhale through your nose and exhale from the mouth.

Snot is there for a reason.

asim18 · 19 Jan 2011 at 21:08

Darkst4r said:
Weird to imagine were breathing that stuff in all the time but never usually see it.

That's why we have nose hair and bogies.

Rizo-UK · 19 Jan 2011 at 21:09

slightly OT but whats the difference between a green beam and a red one aside from the colour?

ive heard green can set fire to stuff?

Mason- · 19 Jan 2011 at 21:10

Rizo-UK said:
slightly OT but whats the difference between a green beam and a red one aside from the colour?

ive heard green can set fire to stuff?

Are you serious or trollin?

Edit:

I think red = dark side

green = the other side.

PermaBanned · 19 Jan 2011 at 21:10

Also, surely that mainly only applies if you spend most of your time indoors?

Craig321 · 19 Jan 2011 at 21:10

Atoms

Darkst4r · 19 Jan 2011 at 21:11

green beams are supposedly brighter per MW than a red beam and also carry further. The really powerful green lasers over 50mw can set fire to things, maybe less power output could achieve the same result if you had a focusable beam.

Rizo-UK · 19 Jan 2011 at 21:11

Mason- said:
Are you serious or trollin?

Edit:

I think red = dark side

green = the other side.

erm if i wasnt serious why the **** would i be asking eh?

Rizo-UK · 19 Jan 2011 at 21:11

Darkst4r said:
green beams are supposedly brighter per MW than a red beam and also carry further. The really powerful green lasers over 50mw can set fire to things, maybe less power output could achieve the same result if you had a focusable beam.

Thank you Sir,

The answer i was after :cool:

Darkst4r · 19 Jan 2011 at 21:12

So in a totally clean atmosphere or vaccuum the beam wouldnt be visible ?

[FnG]magnolia · 19 Jan 2011 at 21:13

Is this for presentation work or you intending to bring down a 747 for the lulz?

Darkst4r · 19 Jan 2011 at 21:14

[FnG]magnolia;18268986 said:
Is this for presentation work or you intending to bring down a 747 for the lulz?

Blinding the neighbours cat as payback for crapping in my garden actually...

EDIT : this is a lie

Mason- · 19 Jan 2011 at 21:14

Rizo-UK said:
erm if i wasnt serious why the **** would i be asking eh?

This is OcUK...

Marine Iguana · 19 Jan 2011 at 21:14

They are mind control particles :eek:

PermaBanned · 19 Jan 2011 at 21:15

Darkst4r said:
So in a totally clean atmosphere or vaccuum the beam wouldnt be visible ?

No, because a laser is simply light. Light travels through vacuums, as i'm sure you're aware. Physical light is made up of photons, the 'particles' you see moving in the beam are dust which light is reflecting off.

Rizo-UK · 19 Jan 2011 at 21:15

Mason- said:
This is OcUK...

Yup, funny ol' lot on here

Come to think of it ive never trolled that i know of