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thetexan
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When you look at the spot of light made by a laser pointer why does the light have a shimmering grainy look?
That grainy appearance is caused by interference. At the points where a trough of the wave and a crest both land, they cancel out and you get a dark region; where two troughs or two crests land they reinforce and you get a bright region.thetexan said:When you look at the spot of light made by a laser pointer why does the light have a shimmering grainy look?
A laser is a device that emits a narrow, intense beam of light through a process of optical amplification based on the stimulated emission of electromagnetic radiation.
A laser works by using an energy source to excite atoms or molecules within a laser medium. This produces photons, which are then amplified and directed through an optical cavity to produce a coherent beam of light.
A laser is different from other light sources because it produces a beam of light that is coherent, monochromatic, and highly directional. This means that all of the photons are in phase, have the same wavelength, and travel in a specific direction.
There are many different types of lasers, including gas lasers, solid-state lasers, and semiconductor lasers. Each type uses a different laser medium and energy source to produce the laser beam.
Lasers have a wide range of practical applications, including in medicine for surgeries and treatments, in telecommunications for transmitting information, in manufacturing for cutting and welding, in research for studying atoms and molecules, and in entertainment for light shows and laser tag.