Q: I’ve noticed that some tool manufacturers are making laser layout tools that generate a green laser rather than a red laser. What’s the difference?
A: The color green is closer to the center of the visible light spectrum, so it’s easier for the human eye to perceive the color at night or in low-light conditions. Different colors of light, including laser beams, are determined by wavelength. A normal red laser has a wavelength of 650 nanometers versus a green laser that has even more energy in a wavelength of 532 nanometers. The smaller wavelength allows a higher frequency of waves to transmit within a given time. This gives humans the ability, when indoors, to see the green light better and more accurately than a red light. In fact, the beam of a green laser level is 400 percent brighter than a traditional red beam laser level.
