Laser Month! Week 2 - Laser vs Balloons - Smarter Every Day 35
The cool thing about that is the laser beam, not necessarily the shark, and even though there's shark week, we're gonna have laser month, because that's way cool.
4 chapters
- Introduction to the Class 4 LaserSetupDestin and Johan are in Holland with a class 4 laser. Johan is a laser expert who will help demonstrate the laser's capabilities.EquipmentThe laser is a 445 nanometer, 3 watt, 3 diode laser capable of burning most objects depending on their color.Safety NoteDestin mentions they won't set the house on fire this time, indicating previous caution with high-power lasers.Experiment PlanThey will conduct laser month experiments, starting with testing the laser's effect on balloons of different colors while learning color names in Dutch.
- Laser Testing on Colored BalloonsMethodologyThe laser is turned to high power and tested against balloons of different colors. Destin learns the Dutch names for each color as they test.Results• Red (Rood) balloon: pops easily • Orange (Oranje) balloon: pops easily • Yellow (Geel) balloon: pops easily • Green (Groen) balloon: pops easily • Turquoise (Turkoois) balloon: pops with louder sound than others • Blue (Blauw) balloon: pops easily • Black (Swart) balloon: pops easilyCritical FindingThe white balloon does not pop despite the laser successfully popping all other colors.Scientific ExplanationThe white balloon scatters all the light instead of absorbing it, so it doesn't heat up and therefore doesn't pop.
- Bonus Balloon Destruction SessionAdditional TestingThe team pops the remaining balloons with the laser to demonstrate its destructive capability.ObservationMore white balloons are encountered during the destruction session, confirming the pattern that white balloons don't pop.ChallengeDestin has difficulty seeing with laser goggles on while trying to identify balloon colors during the experiment.EngagementDestin encourages viewers to submit ideas for future Smarter Every Day episodes on the Facebook page.
- Laser Month Series IntroductionSeries ConceptWhile shark week exists, they are starting laser month because lasers are even cooler for experimentation.Equipment DetailsJohan built the laser, which is a 445 nanometer, 3 watt, 3 diode laser capable of burning almost anything depending on its color.Series PromiseThey will conduct laser month experiments throughout the series demonstrating the laser's various capabilities.Call to ActionDestin encourages viewers to subscribe to Smarter Every Day and suggests checking out Johan's website at bluefan.nl.
