Laser Safety Officer (AF) Exam Questions and
Answers
Class 1 Laser Classification - Answer-- cannot emit laser radiation at levels that are
known to cause eye or skin injury during normal operation
-very low power or beam is fully enclosed
/.Class 1M Laser Classification - Answer--incapable of hazardous exposure conditions
during normal ops unless viewed with collecting optics (binoculars)
-exempt from control measures, other than to prevent optical aided viewing
-exempt from other forms of surveillance
/.Class 2 Laser Classification - Answer--low power, emit in visible spectrum (400-700
nm)
-not considered strong enough to damage eyes because a person will normally blink
and look away if it enters their eyes (aversion response)
/.Class 2M Laser Classification - Answer--potentially hazardous if viewed with collecting
optics
-upper limit on a continuous wave laser in this class is 500 mW
/.Class 3R Laser Classification - Answer--intermediate powered, hazardous under direct
and specular reflection viewing
-can produce no more that 5 mW in the visible region
/.Class 3B Laser Classification - Answer--hazarous under direct and specular reflection
viewing
-not normally a diffuse reflection or fire hazard
operate between 5-500 mW for CW systems
cannot produce radiation energy greater than 0.125 J for pulsed systems
/.Class 4 Laser Classification - Answer--high power, hazardous to eye or skin from
direct beam
-may pose a diffuse reflection or fire hazard
-pose ancillary hazards including laser-generated air contaminants and hazardous
plasma radiation
/.Laser components - Answer--pumping system
-lasing medium
-optical cavity
/.Pumping System - Answer--source of power that excites the lasing medium in order to
create photons for the laser beam
-can be an electrical source, a flash lamp or another laser
, /.Lasing Medium - Answer--what determines the wavelength of the system
-four types: solid state, gas, dye, and semiconductor
/.Optical Cavity - Answer--contains the lasing medium and reflective mirrors that guide
the laser beam
-provide amplification to create the desired laser parameters
/.LASER acronym - Answer-Light
Amplification by
Stimulated
Emission of
Radiation
/.Beam Characteristics - Answer--monochromatic
-coherent
-collimated
/.Monochromatic - Answer--light emitted by a laser is almost pure in color of a single
wavelength
/.Coherent - Answer--measure of the degree of phase correlation that exists in the
radiation field of a light source at different locations and different times
-waves are tightly in phase or in step with one another
/.Collimated - Answer--parallel (highly collimated) fashion, high degree of a high level of
directionality
/.Modes of Operations - Answer--continuous or pulsed
/.Radiant Energy (Q) - Answer--energy that is emitted, transferred, or received in the
form of radiation; measured in Joules (J)
/.Radiant Power - Answer--power that is emitted, transferred, or received in the form of
radiation; measured in Watts (W)
/.Radiant Exposure (H) - Answer--also called energy density
-radiant energy striking a surface divided by the area of that surface over which the
striking energy is distributed; measured in J/cm2
/.Irradiance (E) - Answer--also called power density
-radiant power striking a surface divided by the area of that surface over which the
striking energy is distributed; measured in W/cm2
/.Divergence angle - Answer--defines the rate at which a beam diameter expands or
spread over distance; measured in milliradians (mrad)
Answers
Class 1 Laser Classification - Answer-- cannot emit laser radiation at levels that are
known to cause eye or skin injury during normal operation
-very low power or beam is fully enclosed
/.Class 1M Laser Classification - Answer--incapable of hazardous exposure conditions
during normal ops unless viewed with collecting optics (binoculars)
-exempt from control measures, other than to prevent optical aided viewing
-exempt from other forms of surveillance
/.Class 2 Laser Classification - Answer--low power, emit in visible spectrum (400-700
nm)
-not considered strong enough to damage eyes because a person will normally blink
and look away if it enters their eyes (aversion response)
/.Class 2M Laser Classification - Answer--potentially hazardous if viewed with collecting
optics
-upper limit on a continuous wave laser in this class is 500 mW
/.Class 3R Laser Classification - Answer--intermediate powered, hazardous under direct
and specular reflection viewing
-can produce no more that 5 mW in the visible region
/.Class 3B Laser Classification - Answer--hazarous under direct and specular reflection
viewing
-not normally a diffuse reflection or fire hazard
operate between 5-500 mW for CW systems
cannot produce radiation energy greater than 0.125 J for pulsed systems
/.Class 4 Laser Classification - Answer--high power, hazardous to eye or skin from
direct beam
-may pose a diffuse reflection or fire hazard
-pose ancillary hazards including laser-generated air contaminants and hazardous
plasma radiation
/.Laser components - Answer--pumping system
-lasing medium
-optical cavity
/.Pumping System - Answer--source of power that excites the lasing medium in order to
create photons for the laser beam
-can be an electrical source, a flash lamp or another laser
, /.Lasing Medium - Answer--what determines the wavelength of the system
-four types: solid state, gas, dye, and semiconductor
/.Optical Cavity - Answer--contains the lasing medium and reflective mirrors that guide
the laser beam
-provide amplification to create the desired laser parameters
/.LASER acronym - Answer-Light
Amplification by
Stimulated
Emission of
Radiation
/.Beam Characteristics - Answer--monochromatic
-coherent
-collimated
/.Monochromatic - Answer--light emitted by a laser is almost pure in color of a single
wavelength
/.Coherent - Answer--measure of the degree of phase correlation that exists in the
radiation field of a light source at different locations and different times
-waves are tightly in phase or in step with one another
/.Collimated - Answer--parallel (highly collimated) fashion, high degree of a high level of
directionality
/.Modes of Operations - Answer--continuous or pulsed
/.Radiant Energy (Q) - Answer--energy that is emitted, transferred, or received in the
form of radiation; measured in Joules (J)
/.Radiant Power - Answer--power that is emitted, transferred, or received in the form of
radiation; measured in Watts (W)
/.Radiant Exposure (H) - Answer--also called energy density
-radiant energy striking a surface divided by the area of that surface over which the
striking energy is distributed; measured in J/cm2
/.Irradiance (E) - Answer--also called power density
-radiant power striking a surface divided by the area of that surface over which the
striking energy is distributed; measured in W/cm2
/.Divergence angle - Answer--defines the rate at which a beam diameter expands or
spread over distance; measured in milliradians (mrad)
