| MadSci Network: Engineering |
> Why can a Laser cut, and a laser pointer Not? they are both light,
> both red, both powerful. How can one be so much different?
The difference is the power. A laser pointer is not very powerful at all: typically a milliwatt or even less. A cutting laser might have a million times as much power (a kiliwatt), or even more.
In order to get that power, many cutting lasers are infrared lasers (like carbon dioxide gas lasers or IR diode laser bars).
-Greg Billock
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