How does a CD player work?

The first commercially available CD player was the Sony CDP-101, released in 1982. CDs are read by a laser that shines through the disc and reflects off of the bumps on the surface. These bumps are about 1.6 micrometers high, and the spaces between them are about 0.5 micrometers wide. The laser shines through the disc for about 0.5 seconds, and the time it takes for the light to return is used to determine the distance between the bumps. This data is converted into digital audio data that is played back by the CD …