Could a lightsaber cut through a mirrior?

[Archibaldo]

As we all know, mirriors(sp?) can deflect light. And a lightsaber is pretty much a blade of consentrated light, hence the name "lightsaber". So would a light saber be able to cut through a mirrior like it can cut through metal? Or will the mirrior simply reflect the blade?

/discuss

[Master Ghaleon]

I would think it would reflect, but Im not sure

[Masamune]

I think it'd be so hot that it would melt before any real contact is made.

[Darth Marsden]

Correct me if I'm wrong, but I believe that when a lightsaber collides with something, it burns through them. This would explain why we don't see people in the films clutching bloody stumps with great streams of claret shooting out - the heat cauterizes the wound before anything gets out.

Going with this, I believe that the mirror would melt befor it could reflect anything, therefore the answer I would give you to your original question would be "Yes, theoretically a lightsaber could 'cut' a mirror."

Then again, I'm no expert and this is only a theory. Feel free to point out a horribly accurate fan-made blueprint of a lightsaber proving me wrong.

[MacWeirdo42]

I've always thought of lightsabers as not so much being concentrated light, but rather a beam of controlled plasma... If you go by that theory, then there's no reason that a mirror should reflect a lightsaber, but I don't really know.

[Toolie]

Sci-fi and physics have never been friends, but the plasma is much more plausable than light. It's kind of hard (see: impossible) to stop light to form it into any shape. There is the slightest possibility though that with some insane-high tech though, you could magnetically contain plasma.

*edit*
You can easily contain plasma magnetically, we do that quite often. I mean, it would be magnificently difficult to produce it from the handle, and have the containment device project a magnetic field (somehow) in the desired blade dimensons to contain the released plasma. Well, pretty much impossible. But at least it's not defying the laws of physics - like "concentrated light".

[AtmaWeapon]

The 'laser' weapons in Star Wars are actually packages of concentrated energy that glows because it is like shooting lava at someone.

Why do I say this? Think about it. You can clearly see the blasts from blasters moving towards people. Lightsabers take about 2 seconds to extend fully. Light does not do this because it moves extremely fast. Should the beams from blasters be lasers, a Jedi could still react with superhuman speed, but instead of seeing *shot* *deflect* *dead stormtrooper* it would be more like *dead stormtrooper* *shot noise* *lightsaber noise*.

Additionally, througout the films the Jedi cut through several shiny metal surfaces, which to some extent can be considered mirrors. The only time a Jedi displayed difficulty doing so was in The Phantom Menace where I seem to remember Qui-Gon having to spend a few moments melting through a blast door. This can be attributed to the fact the door was designed to deflect blaster shots, which indicates a lightsaber would have trouble with the door as well.

So, given that the lightsaber must be a beam of concentrated energy, not light, I'd say the odds of a mirror deflecting it would be very slim, unless it is a mirror of concentrated energy.

[*b*]

now, whoever said Lightsabers are simply light or other form of energy? what if there's an object that extends, and glows with power? it would explain why it can deflect blaster shots, why the blade extends so slow, and it would also cauterize any cut made. if it were light, it couldn't deflect blaster shots, and as Atma said, the blade would extend instantly. and plasma, if I'm not mistaken, dosen't make lasers bounce off it

that being said, I think a Lightsaber would cut a mirror, using that theory. even if the mirror was heat resistant

[mikeron]

Since the Star Wars universe allows people to do all kinds of voodoo bs, I'm willing to assume that the Jedi have mastered weak current interactions, allowing them to project neutrinos into the space making up the blade, which "spontaneously" produces leptons and energy. i.e., I don't know what the fuck a light saber is supposed to be doing. The cool sound they make is indicative of a plasma, though.

[AtmaWeapon]

Since the Star Wars universe allows people to do all kinds of voodoo bs, I'm willing to assume that the Jedi have mastered weak current interactions, allowing them to project neutrinos into the space making up the blade, which "spontaneously" produces leptons and energy. i.e., I don't know what the fuck a light saber is supposed to be doing. The cool sound they make is indicative of a plasma, though.Well if you take the extended universe into account Corran Horn was able to use a lightsaber to cut things and he was not trained as a Jedi so I'm sticking with my "beam of energy" theory.

[Tygore]

Well if you take the extended universe into account Corran Horn was able to use a lightsaber to cut things and he was not trained as a Jedi so I'm sticking with my "beam of energy" theory.

Or Han Solo slicing open a Tauntaun.

EDIT: Not to mention, Luke ignites a saber before he ever hears of the force, and part of a Jedi's initial training is laser blocking (see Episode II).

[Glitch]

I think a more important questions is:

Will I every find a gf to wear the princess leia costume for me?

[Archibaldo]

I think a more important questions is:

Will I every find a gf to wear the princess leia costume for me?

It's not a matter of finding the girl. It's a matter about coming up with the money to pay for it.

[ShadowTiger]

Or bribing the girl. o.o' Eric Foreman was foreseen to having to resort to taking his own mother out to the Star Wars convention in a (Dreamed!) Episode of That 70's Show. Nerd Females are few and far between. :p

IMHO, even if it was light, it would probably burn the mirror anyway. I mean, as Atmaweapon stated, it burned through metal plates, and some metal plates reflect light anyway. Miirrors are just normal material, but are really, really good at reflecting light, even better than those other metals. Since it's plasma by nature, it stands far too little of a chance to be reflected. You would just lose the mirror.

[Pryme8]

YES IT CAN! lets leave it at that, lightsabers are Uber Pwnage who wants to be the first to find out, when some dudes swinging one at you!

I vote we test it on Glen ^_^

[biggiy05]

I think a more important questions is:

Will I every find a gf to wear the princess leia costume for me?

You have to find a girl that will put up with you before you can even think about the costume.

[Glenn the Great]

No real mirror is 100% reflective. A light weapon would make resistance against the partial opacity, generating heat, which would melt the mirror. If you swung a lightsaber at a mirror, a small amount of light would be deflected, and then the mirror would disintigrate. Considering how powerful a lightsabre is, the process should take a mere microsecond.

[mikeron]

Well if you take the extended universe into account Corran Horn was able to use a lightsaber to cut things and he was not trained as a Jedi so I'm sticking with my "beam of energy" theory.I didn't mean that they project it from their hands. Everybody knows they use energy crystals to power their light sabers. :p

[Rainman]

All matter reflects. (it's how we see) So the reflection problem isn't limited to mirrors. They are simply reflective I assume that lightsabers are simply able to hold whatever it is in place for when it's burning through things.

With that said, this is probably one of the geekiest discussion I can think of.

[AtmaWeapon]

All matter reflects. (it's how we see)What if an object were pure black? Would it not absorb light from all colors?

[Rainman]

Yeah you are right. You are talking about a black hole. I doubt anyone would be lightsabering that.

[Pryme8]

everyblack you see has purple or blue in it to make it more visualy "stimulating"

pure black would look like a a hole you cant see for some reason o-O