Optics

Science fair projects require both a technical as well as a fundamental understanding of the subject. Making a laser pointer for a science fair is a good example of this because it requires...

A laser cutter in the movies can shear through solid metal. While such devices aren't available to the average person, it is possible to take an ordinary green laser pointer and make it into a...

Laser pointers are relatively inexpensive to buy, but making your own laser can give you a sense of accomplishment that spending a couple of dollars cannot. A homemade laser can be made out of a...

A laser projector creates a light show that seems to be coming from dozens of laser beams. In actuality, a laser projector only needs a single laser beam to create the effect because the beam is...

A laser pointer displays a beam of laser light; the intensity of the beam is set at the factory. Adjusting the intensity yourself will only take a few minutes and will strengthen the laser pointer.

Laser lovers are everywhere while they have to admit that they're often upset by the unfocused beam of their laser pointer or handheld lasers. It's the upsetting collimated laser beam though the...

A Maglite flashlight produces a beam of light with an incandescent bulb. Replacing the bulb with a laser diode inside of a laser housing will let you turn the Maglite into the equivalent of a...

The most expensive part of a laser is the laser diode, and this cost is the reason that most people pass on making their own laser. The laser diode of a CD-RW disk drive can be used to make a...

Building a visible laser beam requires that the laser diode supplying the laser light be of a wavelength of light that is highly visible to the eye. A Blu-ray laser diode, such as commonly found...

Laser beam pointers sold to the public are limited in the power of the laser beam they project. A Mag light can be used to make your own laser pointer that will be more powerful and so travel a...

Green laser pointers vary in price but they all share a common limitation in the amount of laser light they emit. The milliwatt (mW) output is hand set by a tiny screw inside the green laser...

Red laser pointers comes in a variety of shapes and designs. What they all share--regardless of their price--is a low-intensity beam set at the factory. The intensity can be adjusted to a higher...

5Mw green laser pointers are usually factory-set to a very low intensity. To increase the intensity requires manipulating the electronics inside the laser pointer. The increased strength of the...

People have long been fascinated by lasers, but it is only recently that it has become possible to build one yourself. Making a homemade portable green laser will let you project a beam of green...

Laser pointers were once only available to "mad scientists" in science fiction. Now anybody can legally purchase a laser pointer for just a few dollars. Green laser pointers are popular because...

Many people have turned to lasers for school and personal do-it-yourself projects. Replacing the red laser diode in a laser housing with a green laser diode provides for a brighter laser beam...

Laser pointers may be inexpensive to buy, but there's fun in making your own. A homemade laser pointer will work as well as one from a store and give you a sense of accomplishment every time you...

Laser pointers are inexpensive because the beam they project is weak. This is due to a limiter that is built into the laser mechanism. Adjusting the limiter will increase the power of the laser so...

The laser beam of an inexpensive green laser pointer can be easily seen across a great distance. The intensity of a green laser pointer, however, is quite weak because the efficiency of the laser...

Lasers were once the stuff of science fiction, but today it is possible to build a laser that, while functioning on a much lesser scale, works exactly like the one NASA used to bounce a beam off...

Green laser pointers have become very popular due to the fact that they are inexpensive and the human eye is much more sensitive to the green laser light than red laser light pointers. The...

The AixiZ laser is very popular for use in science projects because the laser diode in the housing is not soldered onto the laser mechanism. This makes it easy to remove and replace with a...

The price of a laser pointer is determined by the intensity of the laser light it emits. Inexpensive laser pointers use diodes which are very weak. Replacing this laser diode with the laser diode...

A metal mini-flashlight can be made into a laser flashlight by removing the incandescent bulb and replacing it with a laser diode. This laser diode can be taken out of a broken or unused computer...

Laser sights are often used in movies and TV shows as a dramatic way to show that a person is about to be shot. The real purpose of a laser sight is to aid the person holding the gun in lining up...

A laser pointer projects a laser beam through a lens that can be seen from a great distance. The intensity of the laser is controlled by a potentiometer on a circuit board inside the laser...

A flashlight using an LED projects a beam of light that is very weak and hard to see. Converting a LED flashlight into a laser requires replacing the LED with a laser diode. The laser diode will...

Green laser pointers are inexpensive and readily available in hobby stores and electronics shops. Hacking a green laser pointer is done by destroying the circuit board limiter that keeps the laser...

Building a powerful burning laser pointer doesn't require spending a lot of money because the mechanism found in an inexpensive green laser pointer is the same. The difference is that the green...

A laser pointer uses a small lens to focus the laser light as it exits the barrel of the pointer. A dirty or cracked lens inhibits the laser light and renders the laser pointer useless. Replacing...

I would say the green laser pointer is most wonderful gadget i have seen ever before. From the very beginning of development of laser technology until today, the green laser pointer has become the...

Typically, a laser beam will only go in a completely straight path. While this is useful for most cases, there may come a time when you need to bend the laser so that it reaches another area that...

For years, the police force have used a radar system to help detect how fast a car was moving. However, this wasn't always as accurate as one would desire, with nearby cars and weather conditions...

First, the laser diode is constructed. This is the portion which will actually radiate light once activated. A rectangular length of clean, inert plastic is prepared. Atop it is laid a series of...

A laser pointer is a small device that shines a distinct spot of light onto the surface of an aimed-at point. It is usually small enough to fit on a key chain. Sometimes a laser pointer has the...

Laser pointers that fit on your keychain are usually small and pack a low punch in nanometers, which is the distance you would be able to see the laser clearly in complete darkness. The average...

The use of hallucinogenic drugs in the 1960s and 70s gave birth to the idea of light shows. These shows used psychedelic effects to produce swirls of color and light that were intended to make a...

Laser pointers are small devices that emit a beam of light that projects a small, colored dot onto a surface. The main application of a laser pointer is to call attention to specific areas during...

Measuring distances has been an important part of engineering throughout history. While ancient builders used basic guides, craftsmen quickly began creating better measurement tools. From paces...

Laser cutters are being used more and more in today's work force due to the growth of technology. Since there is a greater demand for products made with laser cutters, small businesses and big...

With America still at war and conflicts around the world its important to provide our troops with the latest and greatest in military technology, both lethal and non lethal. A powerful green laser...

Laser pointers produce light radiation, which in turn produces heat as well. If the laser is powerful enough the beam can be used to not only light matches but actually start fires, melt plastic,...

A laser pointer is a small device that emits a beam of light used to pinpoint objects of interest. Laser pointers come in different colors depending on the nanometer wavelength. Red laser pointers...

The word "laser" is an acronym that stands for "light amplification by stimulated emission of radiation." Laser technology is based on the principle that excited electrons in an atom release...

The Encyclopedia of Laser Physics and Technology states that "beam divergence of a laser beam is a measure for how fast the beam expands far from the beam waist, i.e., in the so-called far field."...

Modifying your 5mW green laser pointer for more output power is something a lot of laser fans are interested in. While higher output powers can be expensive, a simple low power laser pen can...

Making a laser is a complex and difficult task. It can also be very expensive, as many of the materials are not easily accessible or obtainable. A laser can be used for a variety of applications...

Photonics is the ability to send and receive information by running laser light projections through tiny glass tubes, or fibers. The laser beam is sent in a series of pulses, with each pulse...

To understand how a laser operates, it's important to know the basics behind the atom, the principle part of everything in the world, whether it is a gas, liquid or solid. Atoms are formed by a...

The word laser is actually an acronym that stands for "light amplified by the stimulated emission of radiation," which is the technical description of how a laser beam is made. In layman's terms,...