Physical science question HELP: Laser on waxed white car vs. unwaxed black car?

Question

This is a science question I'm racking my brain on ... help me!


Recently, there was an info-mercial for a car wax on late night TV. In this commercial the demonstrator took a white car coated with the wax being sold and a black car not coated with the wax and shined a high powered laser at both of them. The white car with the wax was fine, but the black car without the wax, the laser burned through the paint. From a purely scientific standpoint, is this a valid test of the wax? What other factors besides the wax might have influenced the result? How did these other factors affect the result?

Note that this is a scenario posed in a question from a Science class. There isn't really any such info-mercial... :)

Answer 1

hahaha wax is reflective so it repels some photons from the laser but then fact that they put the wax on the white car is cheating because the color black absorbs more light than white does.
they should have put the wax on the black car and tested it that way to prove how the wax works

** why would you need a wax that prevents paint from getting burned?!?!?

Answer 2

Another con job. They should have put the wax on a small part of the car and then tested thelaser on the waxed and unwaxed pieces. Of course, the black car absorbed the light and the white car reflected it.

Answer 3

Macguires. Wax spray. that's like prompt gratification! Wash first. use malicious program and tar remover for the bottom and edges the position you carry at the same time those issues. Dry it nicely. Shine it in the colour. no longer too warm an afternoon, no longer too chilly. (make certain that's were given carnuba wax) yet you want a not straightforward shell atleast once a year.

Answer 4

Jlee has it right. It was a commercial, right? Well, so much for truth.