How to Make a Laser Beam at Home
A laser beam is a special type of light that is man-made and does not occur naturally. The beam of a laser travels greater distances than that of an incandescent bulb while not losing any of its intensity. You can make a laser at home after purchasing a few parts from a laser supply store and a hardware store. The laser beam that you will make will equal that of the common laser pointers that you can buy in hobby shops and electronic stores.
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Things You'll Need
- Newspaper
- Soldering iron
- Solder
- Toggle switch
- Electrical wire
- Wire cutters
- Wire strippers
- Laser module
- Red laser diode
- Tweezers
- Laser safety glasses
- 9-volt battery
- 9-volt battery snap
Instructions
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1
Put a sheet of newspaper on a table. Unscrew the front of the laser module from the back. Put the front of the laser module away.
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2
Stand the back of the laser module on the newspaper with the open end up.
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3
Clamp the jaws of the tweezers around the metal base of the red laser diode. Hold the red laser diode with the two pins attached to the bottom facing down.
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4
Insert the two pins attached to the bottom of the red laser diode into the holes in the laser module that is standing on the newspaper--the longer of the two pins goes into the center hole in the laser module while the shorter of the two pins goes into the hole to the right of the center hole.
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5
Push the red laser diode into the holes with the tweezers.
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Place the laser module on the newspaper with the red laser diode pointing to the right.
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7
Cut a 10-inch strip of electric wire with the wire cutters. Strip a half inch of insulation off of each of the two ends of the electric wire.
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Place the toggle switch and the 9-volt battery snap on the newspaper next to the laser module.
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9
Strip off a half inch of insulation from the ends of the black and red wires attached to the 9-volt battery snap.
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10
Heat up the soldering iron for three minutes. Solder the end of the red wire attached to the 9-volt battery snap to the center contact on the bottom of the laser module. Let the solder cool for a minute.
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11
Solder the end of the black wire attached to the 9-volt battery snap to one of the two contacts on the toggle switch. Let the solder cool for a minute.
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12
Solder one of the two ends of an electrical wire to the other contact on the toggle switch. Let the solder cool for a minute.
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13
Solder the other end of the electrical wire to the contact ring surrounding the center contact on the bottom of the laser module. Let the solder cool for a minute.
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14
Aim the red laser diode at the front of the laser module at a far wall. Plug the 9-volt battery's "plus" and "minus" contacts into the "plus" and "minus" connectors on the 9-volt battery snap.
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15
Put on the laser safety glasses.
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Push the toggle switch to the right to project a red laser beam at the far wall. Push the toggle switch to the left to turn off the laser you have made.
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Tips & Warnings
Adult supervision is necessary if the person making the laser is underage, since a soldering iron is being used.
Do not aim the beam of a laser at a person or domestic pet--the intensity of the laser can cause serious damage to the retina of the eye.
