Laser cutting

High school (ages 12+)
Science & Technology

Name:

Date:

Step 1 · Read the article

Open the article and read it at the level above. Then answer the questions below in your own words.

https://smallwhale.org/articles/laser-cutting

Write what each word means, using the article.

Do not copy the article. Write two things you learned, the way you would explain them to a friend.

Answers below are taken from the article’s stored facts, so they match what the student read.

1. What is the underlying principle?Stimulated emission of radiation, leading to concentrated thermal energy
2. What is the primary laser types used industrially?CO2 lasers, Nd:YAG lasers, and fiber lasers
3. How does a laser cut metal?When the laser hits metal, the light heats it so fast that the metal melts or turns into gas. A gas jet, like oxygen or nitrogen, helps push the melted metal away and keeps the cut clean.
4. Why do laser cutters use gases like oxygen or nitrogen?The gas jet removes hot metal from the cut, cools the edge, and sometimes reacts with the metal to help the laser cut faster and cleaner.

Stimulated Emission: The process by which an excited atom releases a photon when stimulated by an incoming photon of the same frequency.
Kerf: The width of material that is removed by a cutting tool, in this case, the laser beam.
Heat-Affected Zone (HAZ): The area of base material that has had its microstructure and properties altered by heat from welding, cutting, or other thermal processes.