People who know laser pointer are interested in high power laser pointer functions such as burning plastic, popping balloons and Lighting matches etc. Today, we do some experiments with green laser pointers, come on and read on.

Experiment one: Burning plastic

Tools:
55mW or higher power laser pointer
Black plastic

Steps:
1.    Put the laser pointer on a solid surface.
2.    Let the laser pointer beam aiming at the thin and black plastic steadily.
3.    You will see the smoke from the position the laser beam pointing at.
4.    At the end of the experiment, we can see that there is a small pin pricks burnt into the plastic.

Experiment two:　 Bursting or popping balloons

Tools:
75mW or higher in power green laser pointer
Black balloons (good at absorbing green light with less reflection)

Steps:
1.    Blown up the balloon, because, it is easier to burst the dark or black balloon with full tension.
2.    Let the laser pointer beam aiming at the black balloon steadily.
3.    After a while, you can burst the balloon.

Experiment three: lighting matches

Tools:
95mW or higher power laser pointer
Matches (black or dark red matches head is better as it will absorb more laser beam)

Steps:
1.    Fix the laser pointer and the match, make them steady.
2.    Hold the laser pointer close to the match, and aiming at the black match head.
3.    In the second step, don’t let the laser pointer too close to the match in case that the laser pointer lens will be hurt by ash and debris.

Experiment four: Laser drawing and writing

Tools：
95mW or higher power laser pointer

Steps：

1.    Set up a camera on a tripod in a dim room, facing a blank wall.
2.    The camera exposure can be set 2 seconds or more.
3.    Let the laser pointer beam target at a smooth but not reflective surface that can be with a good contrast.
4.    You can hold the laser pointer to write words or draw pictures by laser beam.
5.    Start taking the picture, and during the exposure time write stuff on the blank wall with the laser.
6.    If you want to add extra effect, you can use smoke or fog too.

Experiment five: Bend light (according to wave propagation theory)

Tools:
Laser pointer
A smooth edge object (such as razor blade)

Steps:
1.    Target the laser pointer beam at a smooth surface like a white wall at the distance of 4 meters.
2.    The smooth edge object will make the laser beam produce diffraction pattern, because, the smooth edge object will block the laser beam by its edge.

Are these experiments easy and funny? You can do it by yourself. let’s move it.