Final answer:
The correct use of a semicolon is in sentence (b), "Laser beams are extremely bright; some are even brighter than sunlight," where it connects two closely related independent clauses. Options (a) and (c) show incorrect semicolon usage.
Step-by-step explanation:
The question is asking which sentence uses a semicolon correctly. In English grammar, a semicolon is used to connect two independent clauses that are closely related in thought, or to separate items in a list when the items themselves contain commas. Looking at the options given:
- Lasers are powerful; Albert Einstein’s ideas led to laser technology.
- Laser beams are extremely bright; some are even brighter than sunlight.
- Uses of lasers include; computer technology, optical scanners, and skin treatments.
Option (b) Laser beams are extremely bright; some are even brighter than sunlight is the correct usage of a semicolon because it connects two independent clauses that are closely related. Option (a) is incorrect because the two clauses are not closely related enough to warrant the use of a semicolon. Lastly, option (c) is incorrect, as a semicolon should not be used before a list; a colon is the proper punctuation for that function.
Lasers have wide-ranging applications and varying intensities, from those used in laser printers to those powerful enough to initiate nuclear fusion as pulsed lasers. Important discoveries in quantum physics have contributed to this technology and have resulted in several Nobel Prizes. Laser technology continues to evolve and impact numerous fields, including medicine, communication, and entertainment.