What stops laser light?

[pyoko]

Luke Skywalker. <div class="Discussion_UserSignature"> <p> </p><p> </p><p><span style="color:#ff9900" class="Apple-style-span">-pyoko</span> <span style="color:#333333" class="Apple-style-span">the</span> <span style="color:#339966" class="Apple-style-span">duck </span></p><p><span style="color:#339966" class="Apple-style-span"><span style="color:#808080;font-style:italic" class="Apple-style-span">It is by will alone I set my mind in motion.</span></span></p> </div>

 

[siarad]

<blockquote><font class="small">In reply to:</font><hr /><p>but the energy of a a photon is inversely proportional to it's wavelength. A red photon has less energy than a blue one, a photon at microwave frequencies less than either of those. So as out light goes out on it's journey and get's red-shifted,<p><hr /></p></p></blockquote><br />So where has this energy gone:<br /> if into space then there must be a lot of energy for us to find how to use <img src="/images/icons/smile.gif" /><br /> if into space maybe causing it's expansion so it's no surprise that's accelerating with the continual production of light.

 

[mindmute]

"if into space maybe causing it's expansion so it's no surprise that's accelerating with the continual production of light."<br /><br />I've thought a lot about that, but it does not hold up. the universe seems to expanding faster, but there is more matter now than there was just after the big bang. The energy just changed form. I'm sure there are plenty of theories on why the universe is expanding faster, but I have only heard one that makes sense to me so far;<br />If we were very close to a black hole, our observations of the distant parts of the universe would appear to be happening faster due to our slowed down time dilation.<br /> I'm off the post subject here, so that's all I will say for now.

 

[Saiph]

The inverse square law dictates intensity, not energy, of light. In general usage, these are the same things, as more photons = more energy.<br /><br />When the inverse square law, or the intensity in general (as the 1/r^2 law holds <i>only</i> for spherical radiating objects) drops to levels akin to the individual energy levels of the photons, you begin to see light's particle nature.<br /><br />Instead of geting a steady energy reading from your instruments, it'll begin to become spotty, and as you turn down the intensity further, the problem will only get worse, as you'll only register any energy at all, whenever a photon hits it.<br /><br />I.e instead of getting 10,000 photons a second (bluring the signal out into a continous reading), you'll get 2 or three, and be able to register each individually. <div class="Discussion_UserSignature"> <p align="center"><font color="#c0c0c0"><br /></font></p><p align="center"><font color="#999999"><em><font size="1">--------</font></em></font><font color="#999999"><em><font size="1">--------</font></em></font><font color="#999999"><em><font size="1">----</font></em></font><font color="#666699">SaiphMOD@gmail.com </font><font color="#999999"><em><font size="1">-------------------</font></em></font></p><p><font color="#999999"><em><font size="1">"This is my Timey Wimey Detector.  Goes "bing" when there's stuff.  It also fries eggs at 30 paces, wether you want it to or not actually.  I've learned to stay away from hens: It's not pretty when they blow" -- </font></em></font><font size="1" color="#999999">The Tenth Doctor, "Blink"</font></p> </div>

 

[siarad]

I understand the wavelength stretches but how does a photon.<br />Even so the energy during it's increased time must remain the same so frequency can't indicate energy which is where my question came from.<br />Damn about to be cuttoff <img src="/images/icons/frown.gif" />