Turning on the Light

Patricia B. O'Hara
Department of Chemistry, Amherst College, Amherst, MA 01002-5000
Wayne St. Peter
Hall High School, West Hartford, CT 06117
Carol Engelson
West Springfield High School, West Springfield, MA 01089
J. Chem. Educ., 2005, 82 (1), p 48A
DOI: 10.1021/ed082p48A
Publication Date (Web): January 1, 2005

Abstract

This Activity explores some of the fundamental properties of light that is spontaneously emitted from common everyday substances such as glow-in-the-dark stickers, wintergreen-flavored hard candies, and a chlorophyll solution made from spinach leaves. Students are led to explore the different properties of fluorescence, phosphorescence, and triboluminescence. Teachers are provided with a background in the molecular properties that give rise to these different luminescent phenomena, which derive from the fundamental interaction of light and matter.

Keywords:

High School / Introductory Chemistry

Keywords:

Analytical Chemistry

Keywords:

JCE Classroom Activity

Keywords:

Fluorescence Spectroscopy

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This article has been cited by 1 ACS Journal articles (1 most recent appear below).

  • Cover Image

    Classroom Activity Connections: Lessons from Fluorescence

    Aoife MacCormac, Emma O’Brien and Richard O’Kennedy
    Journal of Chemical Education2010 87 (7), 685-686
    • Classroom Activity Connections: Lessons from Fluorescence

      Aoife MacCormac, Emma O’Brien and Richard O’Kennedy
      Journal of Chemical Education2010 87 (7), 685-686

      This Classroom Activity Connections paper describes an extension to the JCE Classroom Activity #68 “Turning on the Light”. A number of additional common items that display fluorescence under UV light are described, including fruits, vegetables, and ...

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History

  • Received: August 03, 2009

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