Laser construction
Lasers are machines that produce powerful beams of light. The construction of a laser involves putting together a few different pieces. Imagine building your own toy car with parts that snap together. Here are the parts of a laser:
1. A source of energy - Lasers need energy to work, and this energy can come from electricity or other sources, like chemical reactions.
2. A medium - This is a special substance that the energy passes through. Common laser mediums include gases like helium and neon or crystals like ruby.
3. Mirrors - Mirrors help to reflect the energy back and forth through the medium, making it stronger and more concentrated.
4. A pump - This is what delivers the initial energy to the laser medium to get the reaction started.
5. A cavity - This is where all of the pieces come together. It's a hollow container with the mirrors at each end and the laser medium inside.
When you turn on the energy source, it travels through the pump and into the laser medium. The atoms in the medium get excited by the energy and start to vibrate or wiggle around. When they get too wiggly, they release energy in the form of light. This light bounces around inside the cavity, getting stronger and stronger thanks to the mirrors. Eventually, a beam of powerful laser light shoots out of one end of the cavity.
Overall, the construction of a laser involves putting together a source of energy, a laser medium, mirrors, a pump, and a cavity, all of which work together to create a concentrated beam of light.
1. A source of energy - Lasers need energy to work, and this energy can come from electricity or other sources, like chemical reactions.
2. A medium - This is a special substance that the energy passes through. Common laser mediums include gases like helium and neon or crystals like ruby.
3. Mirrors - Mirrors help to reflect the energy back and forth through the medium, making it stronger and more concentrated.
4. A pump - This is what delivers the initial energy to the laser medium to get the reaction started.
5. A cavity - This is where all of the pieces come together. It's a hollow container with the mirrors at each end and the laser medium inside.
When you turn on the energy source, it travels through the pump and into the laser medium. The atoms in the medium get excited by the energy and start to vibrate or wiggle around. When they get too wiggly, they release energy in the form of light. This light bounces around inside the cavity, getting stronger and stronger thanks to the mirrors. Eventually, a beam of powerful laser light shoots out of one end of the cavity.
Overall, the construction of a laser involves putting together a source of energy, a laser medium, mirrors, a pump, and a cavity, all of which work together to create a concentrated beam of light.
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