OSHA Laser Safety Terms Exam
Questions and Answers
Diffuse Reflection - Correct Answers -Takes place when different parts of a beam
incident on a surface are reflected over a wide range of angles in accordance with
Lambert's Law. The intensity will fall off as the inverse of the square of the distance
away from the surface and also obey a Cosine Law of reflection.
pumping system - Correct Answers -uses photons from another source as a xenon gas
flash tube (optical pumping) to transfer energy to the media, electrical discharge within
the pure gas or gas mixture media (collision pumping)
laser medium - Correct Answers -can be a solid (state), gas, dye (in liquid), or
semiconductor. Lasers are commonly designated by the type of lasing material
employed.
Solid state - Correct Answers -lasers have lasing material distributed in a solid matrix,
e.g., the ruby or neodymium-YAG (yttrium aluminum garnet) lasers. The neodymium-
YAG laser emits infrared light at 1.064 micrometers.
Tunable Laser - Correct Answers -A laser system that can be "tuned" to emit laser light
over a continuous range of wavelengths or frequencies.
Tunable Dye Laser - Correct Answers -A laser whose active medium is a liquid dye,
pumped by another laser or flash lamps, to produce various colors of light. The color of
light may be tuned by adjusting optical tuning elements and/or changing the dye used.
Ultraviolet (UV) Radiation - Correct Answers -Electromagnetic radiation with
wavelengths between soft X-rays and visible violet light, often broken down into UV-A
(315-400 nm), UV-B (280-315 nm), and UV-C (100-280 nm).
Visible Radiation (light) - Correct Answers -Electromagnetic radiation which can be
detected by the human eye. It is commonly used to describe wavelengths in the range
between 400 nm and 700-780 nm.
Wavelength - Correct Answers -The length of the light wave, usually measured from
crest to crest, which determines its color. Common units of measurement are the
micrometer (micron), the nanometer, and (earlier) the Angstrom unit.
, Gas - Correct Answers -lasers (helium and helium-neon, HeNe, are the most common
gas lasers) have a primary output of a visible red light. CO2 lasers emit energy in the
far-infrared, 10.6 micrometers, and are used for cutting hard materials.
Excimer - Correct Answers -lasers (the name is derived from the terms excited and
dimers) use reactive gases such as chlorine and fluorine mixed with inert gases such as
argon, krypton, or xenon. When electrically stimulated, a pseudomolecule or dimer is
produced and when lased, produces light in the ultraviolet range.
Dye lasers - Correct Answers -use complex organic dyes like rhodamine 6G in liquid
solution or suspension as lasing media. They are tunable over a broad range of
wavelengths.
Semiconductor - Correct Answers -lasers, sometimes called diode lasers, are not solid-
state lasers. These electronic devices are generally very small and use low power. They
may be built into larger arrays, e.g., the writing source in some laser printers or compact
disk players.
Absorb - Correct Answers -To transform radiant energy into a different form, with a
resultant rise in temperature.
Absorption - Correct Answers -Transformation of radiant energy to a different form of
energy by the interaction of matter, depending on temperature and wavelength.
Accessible Emission Level - Correct Answers -The magnitude of accessible laser (or
collateral) radiation of a specific wavelength or emission duration at a particular point as
measured by appropriate methods and devices. Also means radiation to which human
access is possible in accordance with the definitions of the laser's hazard classification.
Accessible Emission Limit (AEL) - Correct Answers -The maximum accessible emission
level permitted within a particular class. In ANSI Z 136.1, AEL is determined as the
product of accessible emission Maximum Permissible Exposure limit (MPE) and the
area of the limiting aperture (7 mm for visible and near-infrared lasers).
Aperture - Correct Answers -An opening through which radiation can pass.
Argon - Correct Answers -A gas used as a laser medium. It emits blue-green light
primarily at 448 and 515 nm.
Attenuation - Correct Answers -The decrease in energy (or power) as a beam passes
through an absorbing or scattering medium.
Aversion Response - Correct Answers -Movement of the eyelid or the head to avoid an
exposure to a noxious stimulant, bright light. It can occur within 0.25 seconds, and it
includes the blink reflex time.
Questions and Answers
Diffuse Reflection - Correct Answers -Takes place when different parts of a beam
incident on a surface are reflected over a wide range of angles in accordance with
Lambert's Law. The intensity will fall off as the inverse of the square of the distance
away from the surface and also obey a Cosine Law of reflection.
pumping system - Correct Answers -uses photons from another source as a xenon gas
flash tube (optical pumping) to transfer energy to the media, electrical discharge within
the pure gas or gas mixture media (collision pumping)
laser medium - Correct Answers -can be a solid (state), gas, dye (in liquid), or
semiconductor. Lasers are commonly designated by the type of lasing material
employed.
Solid state - Correct Answers -lasers have lasing material distributed in a solid matrix,
e.g., the ruby or neodymium-YAG (yttrium aluminum garnet) lasers. The neodymium-
YAG laser emits infrared light at 1.064 micrometers.
Tunable Laser - Correct Answers -A laser system that can be "tuned" to emit laser light
over a continuous range of wavelengths or frequencies.
Tunable Dye Laser - Correct Answers -A laser whose active medium is a liquid dye,
pumped by another laser or flash lamps, to produce various colors of light. The color of
light may be tuned by adjusting optical tuning elements and/or changing the dye used.
Ultraviolet (UV) Radiation - Correct Answers -Electromagnetic radiation with
wavelengths between soft X-rays and visible violet light, often broken down into UV-A
(315-400 nm), UV-B (280-315 nm), and UV-C (100-280 nm).
Visible Radiation (light) - Correct Answers -Electromagnetic radiation which can be
detected by the human eye. It is commonly used to describe wavelengths in the range
between 400 nm and 700-780 nm.
Wavelength - Correct Answers -The length of the light wave, usually measured from
crest to crest, which determines its color. Common units of measurement are the
micrometer (micron), the nanometer, and (earlier) the Angstrom unit.
, Gas - Correct Answers -lasers (helium and helium-neon, HeNe, are the most common
gas lasers) have a primary output of a visible red light. CO2 lasers emit energy in the
far-infrared, 10.6 micrometers, and are used for cutting hard materials.
Excimer - Correct Answers -lasers (the name is derived from the terms excited and
dimers) use reactive gases such as chlorine and fluorine mixed with inert gases such as
argon, krypton, or xenon. When electrically stimulated, a pseudomolecule or dimer is
produced and when lased, produces light in the ultraviolet range.
Dye lasers - Correct Answers -use complex organic dyes like rhodamine 6G in liquid
solution or suspension as lasing media. They are tunable over a broad range of
wavelengths.
Semiconductor - Correct Answers -lasers, sometimes called diode lasers, are not solid-
state lasers. These electronic devices are generally very small and use low power. They
may be built into larger arrays, e.g., the writing source in some laser printers or compact
disk players.
Absorb - Correct Answers -To transform radiant energy into a different form, with a
resultant rise in temperature.
Absorption - Correct Answers -Transformation of radiant energy to a different form of
energy by the interaction of matter, depending on temperature and wavelength.
Accessible Emission Level - Correct Answers -The magnitude of accessible laser (or
collateral) radiation of a specific wavelength or emission duration at a particular point as
measured by appropriate methods and devices. Also means radiation to which human
access is possible in accordance with the definitions of the laser's hazard classification.
Accessible Emission Limit (AEL) - Correct Answers -The maximum accessible emission
level permitted within a particular class. In ANSI Z 136.1, AEL is determined as the
product of accessible emission Maximum Permissible Exposure limit (MPE) and the
area of the limiting aperture (7 mm for visible and near-infrared lasers).
Aperture - Correct Answers -An opening through which radiation can pass.
Argon - Correct Answers -A gas used as a laser medium. It emits blue-green light
primarily at 448 and 515 nm.
Attenuation - Correct Answers -The decrease in energy (or power) as a beam passes
through an absorbing or scattering medium.
Aversion Response - Correct Answers -Movement of the eyelid or the head to avoid an
exposure to a noxious stimulant, bright light. It can occur within 0.25 seconds, and it
includes the blink reflex time.
