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Daniel Petka
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Every material absorbes some light, right? -even a mirror! So I ask myself: is there anything bigger than the wavelength of that light that cannot be destroyed with a powerful lightsource? (for example laser)
Can any object withstand the power of light?
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In summary, the question is asking if there is anything bigger than the wavelength of light that cannot be destroyed with a powerful lightsource. Every material absorbs some light, right? -even a mirror! So I ask myself: is there anything bigger than the wavelength of that light that cannot be destroyed with a powerful lightsource? (for example laser).The answer to this question is that there is nothing that can be bigger than the wavelength of light. Anything that is bigger than the wavelength of light will be destroyed by the light. This means that anything that is bigger than a black hole would be destroyed by a laser.
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Well, black holes come to mind.Daniel Petka said:
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Daniel Petka said:
I'm going to tell you why your question here is rather puzzling, because this is a physics forum (full of professionals) and often times, the nature of the question is as important as the answer itself:
1. If the object is bigger than the wavelength of the light (and you didn't put any upper bound on the size), then what exactly do you mean by "destroyed"? If I just punch a 1-mm diameter hole in a slab of steel 1 square meter, have I "destroyed" the slab? If I ablate the top 10 nm of the material from a clump of iron, have I "destroyed" it?
2. Why does it have to be a "laser"? Why would the coherence of the light source make any difference? And do we have a time scale for how long this light impinges on the material to destroy it? Or should it only be done by a single photon?
There are many words and terminologies that we use everyday that appear to be clear and well-defined. But when it is put in the context of science, these words are often vague and ambiguous. This is what is happening here.
Zz.
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rootone
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Sufficiently powerful and focused light, (or other EM), could completely vaporize a small material object.
Obviously the more massive the object is, the more powerful the light has to be to do that.
I'd guess that producing/focusing light powerful enough to instantly vaporize anything much more than about 1 gram of say iron is probably beyond current technology
Even though an object could be vaporized, the individuals atom which made up the object will still exist,
though they probably will exist as plasma; atomic nuclei with some or even all electrons stripped.
(The stripped electrons will return when the plasma cools)
Obviously the more massive the object is, the more powerful the light has to be to do that.
I'd guess that producing/focusing light powerful enough to instantly vaporize anything much more than about 1 gram of say iron is probably beyond current technology
Even though an object could be vaporized, the individuals atom which made up the object will still exist,
though they probably will exist as plasma; atomic nuclei with some or even all electrons stripped.
(The stripped electrons will return when the plasma cools)
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- #5
davenn
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maybe you haven't seen the current technology for laser metal cutters ?rootone said:
they go through a few mm of steel like a hot knife through butter
an example ...
there are some really serious laser etching processes out there too ...
http://www.bing.com/videos/search?q...717C19228A0C08A63793717C19228A0C0&FORM=VRDGARDave
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rootone
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Impressive definitely, but not in the 'destroy anything' category.
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I think his point was just that your estimate of 1 gram was WAY off, not that it could destroy anything. Laser cutting of steel plates for shipbuilding has been done for almost 50 years. In the 70's I wrote an assembly language program for a minicomputer to control such a process.rootone said:
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rootone
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OK, but back to the original question, which I interpreted to be about if focused light could be effectively used as a range weapon.
I doubt it.
I doubt it.
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I agree, at least for even coming close to total destruction.rootone said:
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berkeman
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Wow, what a beautiful piece. What is it used in? If for a chain drive, why the even/odd offset spacing? It sure looks on-purpose...davenn said:maybe you haven't seen the current technology for laser metal cutters ?
they go through a few mm of steel like a hot knife through butter
an example ...
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Daniel Petka
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Yeah, light does not destroy things like for example antimatter does (by annihilation). However, that is not needed to "destroy" the structure of something (for example a drone with a long range laser weapon).
- #12
Baluncore
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There is nothing that cannot be destroyed by a powerful light source, given enough time and energy.
“Too much light will destroy anything”. Is true because the quantity “too much” is defined as enough light to destroy anything.
Next consider the question: What happens when an irresistible force acts on an immovable object ?
“Too much light will destroy anything”. Is true because the quantity “too much” is defined as enough light to destroy anything.
Next consider the question: What happens when an irresistible force acts on an immovable object ?
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DrClaude
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On these words of wisdom, thread closed.Baluncore said:
What is the concept of light being able to destroy anything?
The concept of light being able to destroy anything refers to the idea that certain forms of light, such as lasers or intense beams of light, have the ability to cause damage or destruction to objects or materials they come into contact with.
How does light have the power to destroy things?
Light has the power to destroy things because it carries energy. When light is focused into a concentrated beam, it can transfer a large amount of energy onto a small area, which can cause damage or destruction to any object or material in its path.
Can all types of light destroy anything?
No, not all types of light have the ability to destroy anything. Only certain forms of light, such as high-powered lasers or intense beams of light, have the energy and intensity to cause damage or destruction.
What types of materials are most vulnerable to being destroyed by light?
Generally, materials that are transparent or reflective are more vulnerable to being destroyed by light. This is because they allow light to pass through or reflect off of them, which can cause the light to concentrate and intensify in a specific area, leading to destruction.
Is light always harmful to objects and materials?
No, light is not always harmful to objects and materials. In fact, light is essential for many processes and functions in our daily lives, such as photosynthesis and vision. It is only when light is concentrated and intensified that it has the potential to cause damage or destruction.