The Hidden Dangers of Laser Pointers
August 21st 2010 03:50
Category: No Category
At one time lasers were a topic best talked about in science fiction comics or movies.
Now-days these great and increasingly inexpensive gadgets have really revolutionized how we point out sights in the night sky.
A typical green laser pointer around 5-mW laser emits an intense, yet very narrow beam of light at a wavelength of 532 nanometers. At night the beam is visible for hundreds of meters even further, depending on sky conditions. Typically laser like this can be purchased for $20 .
that the output can vary dramatically from one laser pointer to another,
Researchers at the U.S. National Institute of Standards and Technology conducted tests on many laser pointers. The results showed that these laser pointers don't create green light at first the actual green light is generate by a collimated beam of infrared energy that's converted to green light when it passed through a special crystal.
There a many makes and models and of laser pointers on the market some are expensive some are really cheap and can be potentially harmful to the eyes.Mostly the light they emit is in the red and green wavelengths.
The more expensive laser pointer used a combination of transmissive and antireflective coatings, together with an infrared-blocking filter at the end of the beam path. The filter strips around 98% of the infrared energy all that comes is pure green light at a wavelength of 532 nm.
Here is the problem
Researchers also found that el chepo inexpensive green lasers not only have very poor conversion efficiency most do not have infrared inhibiters to filter out unwanted infra-red energy. Other units tested released nine times more infrared energy than actual green light.
The green light is not the problem it is the infra-red aspect of the light energy that is cause for concern. The infra- red energy can cause retinal damage to the eye. All lasers (Red/Green)can cause problems irrespective of what colour they emit.
A laser pointer should never be pointed at a person’s eye. Some of these pointers are powerful enough to burst a balloon. imagine what it could do to eye tissues.
| 81 |
| Vote |
Add To: 
subscribe to this blog
Comment by S.L.
The Political Brief