Answers to Everyday Questions : How do glow in the dark things work ?

A glow-in-the-dark object like toy stickers gives more appeal to it. If you are wondering how glow-in-the-dark objects work, it is just a simple chemistry matter. Phosphor is the most commonly used chemical that generates light to make something glow in the dark. The process is like how reflectors work; this kind of glow-in-the-dark object also needs light exposure to glow. The light excites and energizes the phosphors’ electrons that release their extra energy as a light.

Several substance mixtures create phosphors. The most commonly used substances in creating glow-in-the-dark products are strontium aluminate and zinc sulfide. Strontium aluminate lasts longer than the zinc sulfide. The chemical mixture with plastic are then shaped into animals or stars that you use for your walls or ceilings. It is also used in the additional pigment in your make up for Halloween.

There are also glow-in-the-dark objects that do not need light to glow. These products still use phosphors to generate light; Instead, the light that was supposed to charge the phosphors’ electrons is replaced with radium. Radium is a radioactive compound, and the amount of radium used in these objects is harmless. Glow-in-the-dark items that include radium are commonly used for watch or clock hands to glow for hours even without any source of light.

Another process used to make a glow-in-the-dark item is chemiluminescence. Chemiluminescence is a type of chemical reaction that creates excitement to electrons the same way light does. A mixture of two chemicals causes a reaction a make electrons move with a higher level of energy to produce extra energy that are released when the electrons stabilize. The production of light in this process starts when the electrons rest and releases their energy. This process done to make an object glow is often seen in glow-in-the-dark sticks that you have to bend or shake to make the chemicals mix and glow.