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The laser is one of the most advanced tools we have in our civilization.
Lasers are powerful enough to cut through a thick piece of steel, yet can be
used in medical surgery. Lasers are used in the army, not for guns, for range
finding and a whole lot more.
Most people don't know where the idea of the laser came from. The idea for the
laser came from a machine called a maser. The maser was a tool that was able
to strengthen, or amplify radio and light waves. The first laser was made in
California in 1960. It was built by Theodore Maiman and a group of American
scientists. The material they used for a concentrator was a man- made ruby. It
was done by coiling a simple flash tube around a rod, and beaming powerful
flashes of light at it. The result was pulses of red laser light. Once they
made the device they had to name it. They had think of some word or words to
described it. They came up with Light Amplification by Stimulated Emission of
Radiation. Using the first letter of each main word they named it laser. The
laser had everyone excited.
The laser was put through many tests and experiments to see what it could do
to help modern civilization. At first there weren't many uses for the laser.
Then in the 1970's it became very important. It was finally being used in
everyday life. As years went on the uses grew in number. Today lasers were
being used in a variety of ways. This includes entertainment, military,
communication, businesses, measurement, cutting, and more. Measurement: Lasers
have become an important part of measurement. A laser is the fastest way to
measure long distances. This use can be applied in construction work and
astronomy. Cutting: A laser is also great for cutting objects. It can get to
those hard to reach places by the use of mirrors to bend the beam of light. It
also is strong enough to cut through solid steel. A laser never damages the
surface of the object because it never touches it. Lasers have been used in
both large and small surgical procedures. It is used by jewelers to cut
diamonds, gold, silver, platinum, ect. It is also used in corporations in
which cutting metal or fine cutting is involved.
Communication: The way the laser is used in the field of communication is
through fiber optics. Fiber optics are glass rods in which a laser is shot
through the rod, making pulses which are then changed into sound.
Entertainment: Lasers can also be used to entertain. They are used in rock
concerts or alone as part of a show. Another form of entertainment that is
made possible by the laser is the hologram. At first holograms could only be
made with a lasers. Now we can make them with ordinary white light. Lasers
also are used in art. Different color lasers are projected on a wall yielding
a two dimensional hologram in which you can draw. Another use in the
entertainment field is the Compact Disc. The CD uses lasers like fibre optics,
that changes laser light into sound. Businesses: The way businesses use lasers
are in mass production. They use lasers to weld things together or to put
holes or cuts into things. They also use laser scanners to check items. In a
supermarket laser scanners are used to price items. Lasers also are used to
protect businesses by placing laser sensors in security systems. Military:
Lasers play a very important role in the military. Unlike what is seen in
science fiction movies where a laser gun could be used as a hand weapon, using
today's technology lasers that powerful would have to be as big as the great
pyramids in Egypt. Instead, we use them for range-finding devices or guiding
weapons or missiles. An example of a range finding device is a special kind of
binoculars that sends out a laser beam and then reads the laser beam that
bounces back to know far they are away. A laser guided missile is used in
fighter planes so they almost never miss their targets. Laser research is
moving to making lasers even more powerful. Hopefully these more powerful
lasers can be used to stop missile attacks.
The trade off for all the good things that lasers can do is the fact that they
can be applied to weapons of war. Their use in medicine, communications and
other areas out weighs the potential for war uses.
The next step in laser technology could the molecular particle laser and
receiving device. This would allow the transport of matter, such as a human,
across a laser beam. This would eliminate the pollution caused by our present
modes of transportation.
Lasers are very important and are becoming more and more advanced. Scientist
are still trying to find new ways to harness the power of the laser.
Science Essays
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