system
Given the following post, respond as if you're commenting on Reddit:
human
[Star Wars] How did the Death Star blow up planets?

The primary weapon of the Death Star was a massive LASER array. LASER's don't have any kinetic force and only cause changes in temperature. Shouldn't it have just melted the planet instead of causing it to explode?
gpt
The primary weapon of the death star was NOT a purely laser weapon. Whilst referred to as a 'superlaser' this can easily be a slang term for the weapon, or a reference to a single portion of the weapons design. The characteristics of the weapon, such as the speed of the beam (which is much much much much much slower than the speed of light which a laser beam would travel at), and the 'converging' beams (which laser energy cannot do) show this amply. The same goes for the 'turbolasers' on Imperial Star Destroyers and other warships.

As far as the effects, pump enough energy into something and it'll go boom. Doesnt matter if its an energy based weapon on not.