How Many Photons Does a CO2 Laser Emit to Vaporize Flesh in Surgery?

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SUMMARY

The discussion focuses on calculating the number of photons emitted by a CO2 laser with a wavelength of 10.6 micrometers, used in surgical applications to vaporize flesh. The energy required to vaporize 1 cubic centimeter of flesh, assuming it has the same heat of vaporization as water, is derived using the formula E = nhf, where E is energy, n is the number of photons, h is Planck's constant, and f is frequency. The calculations reveal that approximately 2.83 × 1013 photons are necessary to achieve the desired temperature increase and vaporization within 1 millisecond. Additionally, the power output of the pulse can be determined from the energy required and the duration of the pulse.

PREREQUISITES
  • Understanding of Planck's constant and its application in photon energy calculations
  • Knowledge of the heat of vaporization, specifically for water
  • Familiarity with the concepts of wavelength and frequency in electromagnetic radiation
  • Basic proficiency in performing calculations involving scientific notation
NEXT STEPS
  • Research the properties of CO2 lasers and their applications in medical surgery
  • Study the relationship between wavelength, frequency, and energy of photons
  • Learn about the heat of vaporization and its implications in thermal physics
  • Explore the concept of power output in laser systems and how to calculate it
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Medical physicists, laser technicians, and surgical professionals interested in the mechanics of laser applications in surgery, particularly those focusing on thermal effects and photon interactions.

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Photon Problem!

please help me in solving this numerical!

a Carbondioxide laser used in surgery gives out 10.6micro meters of infrared radiation. in 1.00ms it raises the temperature of 1 cubic centimeter of flesh to 100C and evaporate it. Assume that the flesh has the same heat of vaporization as water.

a) how many photons are required?
b) what is the power outpur of the pulse of energy?

please help me as soon as possible as i really want to understand this chapter.

Thanks in advance!
 
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E = nhf

E is energy
n is number of photons
h is Planck's constant
f is frequency

the energy delivered by the infrared radiation (the equation is the above one) will equal the energy required to vaporize the flesh, which you can determine yourself, right?
 
google says:
(2.99800 * (10^8)) / (10.68*(10^-6)) = 2.83 × 10^13.
you might recognise lightspeed somewhere in this equation just like you might just find the wavelength of the light from the laser...
 
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