5mW green laser question?

Question

i just bought a 5mW laser off ebay, can anyone give me informantion on it that i should know and also i hear there is a way to make it more porwerful to burn things.... is this true, if yes then how??

Answer 1

There is no way to make this laser powerful enough to burn anything.  You could increase the voltage by adding another 1.5 battery in series, but the power will only go up by another 2 to 3 mW -- still not enough to burn anything.  And, it will probably only last for a very short time at the higher voltage.

If you want a laser that would heat things up, you need to get a green laser that is rated for at least 100 mW to start.  

A different kind of laser -- a CO2 laser -- is designed for cutting and engraving.  They start at about 10 Watts.

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