Worked example: A red laser pointer emits 5 mW at λ = 650 nm. How many photons per second does it emit, and why is the light special? Step 1: Photon energy E = hc/λ = 1240/650 = 1.91 eV = 3.06×10⁻¹⁹ J. Step 2: Photon rate = power/E = 5×10⁻³ / 3.06×10⁻¹⁹ ≈ 1.6×10¹⁶ photons/s. Step 3: All ~10¹⁶ photons per second share nearly one quantum state (same wavelength, phase, direction) — stimulated emission clones photons. Step 4: Compare an LED of equal power: its photons have random phases and a broad wavelength spread — incoherent. Conclusion: the laser's magic is not power but coherence — quantum cloning of photons via stimulated emission, impossible in classical physics.