• Question: Can lasers ignite methane gas?

    Asked by xenon to Mike, Pip, Tianfu, Tim, Tom on 3 Jul 2012.
    • Photo: Tim Stephens

      Tim Stephens answered on 3 Jul 2012:

      Yes! If you focus a powerful laser into a small spot, you can make a spark in the air and use that to ignite the gas.
      I’ve seen experiments carried out using lasers as the ignition source for flammable gasses.

    • Photo: Tom Lister

      Tom Lister answered on 3 Jul 2012:

      I’ve done experiments trying to set clothes and hair alight with a laser. We fired oxygen gas at them whilst firing the laser. I guess you could do the same for methane, but it wont absorb enough energy to light without something in the way (i.e. you would need to heat something with the laser and then have this in the methane gas)

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