How does a 1 mW laser burn?

[HIMNL9]

.....
That's 1000 Watts / 1,000,000mm = 0.001 Watts/mm or 1mW/mm..

Jerry

..... not if you use an 1 square meter magnifying lens ..... :eg: .....

(J/K, sorry, can't resist :crackup: :crackup: :crackup

 

[lasersbee]

..... not if you use an 1 square meter magnifying lens ..... :eg: .....

(J/K, sorry, can't resist :crackup: :crackup: :crackup

and less if you use a 1 square meter Concave Lens.....:crackup:

Jerry

 

[Bandanna]

Power is not what burns. You need an optical density high enough to do "work" on a given substance. The optical density needed depends on a lot of things though. Lasers are used to induce chemical reactions all the time. Consider sunlight in the same way. Less than 5mw per square cm does nothing to a leaf on the pavement. However, compressing the light from one square cm in area down to one tenth of a mm, will do "work" on the leaf. The burning areas may not be large enough to burn with enough oxygen to start a full flame, but however you look at it, its still burning. Burning can look like lots of things.

Oh.:thanks:
I didn't know enough about it to really say anything I suppose.

The point I was trying to make though is that I am sure the OP was completely ignoring the obvious world around him.
I should have been more direct but I mean if 1mW lasers burnt things surely the OP would have observed the act for himself by now.
I just wanted to bring back some critical thinking. It's easy to believe things on the internet, especially if they are things you would like to be true.

 

[Justin4758]

What i am trying to find out is can my laser burn using a magnifying glass, my glasses and something else?

 

[StridAst]

Short answer: No.

Long answer: To burn anything with a 1mW laser you would need tech you don't have access to. (among them, a rather decent microscope to even see that you burned anything) If you focused 1mw down far enough to burn anything, you would be burning such a tiny area, that without a microscope you wouldn't even be able to see that you accomplished anything. You would also need *very* precise optics, as well as something to hold the laser other then your hand as no human could ever hold a laser steady enough to keep it in focus on the object you are attempting to burn at that tiny range.

If you want to burn with lasers, save up, and build/buy a more powerful one. Go for 100mw at the least.

 

[jeffreythe00]

You all failed to mention that if it is your hearts desire to burn things....Just buy a lighter.

Though is is way cooler to do it with a laser XD