Are Laser Guns and Lightsabers Practical Weapons or Just Sci-Fi Fantasy?

  • Thread starter Thread starter AnthreX
  • Start date Start date
  • Tags Tags
    Laser
Click For Summary
SUMMARY

This discussion explores the practicality of laser guns and lightsabers as weapons, emphasizing the physics of laser technology. It clarifies that lasers can have color, with high-energy photons in blue or violet being more effective than red. The concept of controlling the length of a lightsaber is explained through the superimposition of laser pulse trains, while the power supply remains a fictional element. The conversation also touches on the visibility of lasers, noting that only certain wavelengths are perceivable by the human eye.

PREREQUISITES
  • Understanding of laser physics and light properties
  • Familiarity with photon energy levels and color perception
  • Knowledge of laser technology applications
  • Awareness of science fiction weaponry concepts
NEXT STEPS
  • Research the physics of laser beam propagation and visibility
  • Explore the engineering behind fictional weapons like lightsabers
  • Learn about high-energy lasers and their applications in modern technology
  • Investigate the principles of destructive interference in wave physics
USEFUL FOR

Science fiction enthusiasts, physicists, engineers, and anyone interested in the practical applications of laser technology and its portrayal in media.

AnthreX
Messages
47
Reaction score
0
i have been wondering...
the guns there r like red laser guns
1.if u want to kill the person why did u have to put the colour to it ?

i thought lasers don't have a colour

and the lightsabre that's just weird..
2.how can a laser stop ??

3.is it even possible to control its length ?
4.and again there is colour is there a colour so we can see ?
 
Science news on Phys.org
IT'S A MOVIE
 
Lasers emit radiation which is essentially monochromatic, ranging over a fairly wide range of frequencies from infrared to ultraviolet. There are lasers which emit radiation sufficiently intense to burn through metal plates.
 
The force is not strong in u anthrex. :/
 
AnthreX said:
i have been wondering...
the guns there r like red laser guns
1.if u want to kill the person why did u have to put the colour to it ?

No color is necessary, but there's no reason it couldn't be colored. High energy photons are probably more effective, so blue or violet would be the more powerful colors. Ultraviolet of x-ray lasers are even more powerful, and those colors are invisible to the human eye.

i thought lasers don't have a colour

Sure they do, though infrared lasers and x-ray lasers don't have color that you can see. But you shouldn't be looking into laser beams anyway.

and the lightsabre that's just weird..
2.how can a laser stop ??
3.is it even possible to control its length ?

I always preferred phasers myself.

As for how can a light sabre be of a certain length, it's done by superimposing laser pulse trains so they destructively interfere past the end of the sword. The control circuitry is a closely guarded secret of the Aldebaron Amalgomated Corporation, as is the ultracompact power supply. Now that's the real trick, since they can't use dilithium crystals (which only exist in a galaxy a far trek away from the Star Wars worlds).
 
Lasers are so highly focused that no photons are lost to the periphery, so unless the laser is shot into your eye, or there is some dispering force (such as fog) in the path of the beam, you shouldn't be able to see it.
 
I have another thought why would you even need a light sabre if darth vader confronted me with a light sabre id pull out my gun and shoot a bright red beam through his hanibal lecter helmet
 

Similar threads

  • · Replies 112 ·
4
Replies
112
Views
22K
  • · Replies 14 ·
Replies
14
Views
5K
  • · Replies 61 ·
3
Replies
61
Views
8K
Replies
1
Views
2K
  • · Replies 34 ·
2
Replies
34
Views
6K
  • · Replies 5 ·
Replies
5
Views
3K
  • · Replies 9 ·
Replies
9
Views
4K
Replies
44
Views
13K
  • · Replies 8 ·
Replies
8
Views
1K
Replies
31
Views
7K