How do Things Glow in the Dark?
From stickers to toys, an object’s ability to glow in the dark instantly adds to its appeal. Making things glow in the dark is a simple matter of chemistry. The most common way of making an object glow in the dark is to use chemicals called phosphors to produce light. These kind of glow-in-the-dark objects need to be exposed to light, or charged, in order to glow. The light energizes the phosphors and excites their electrons. As the electrons lose this extra energy, they release it as a light of their own. Scientists have created numerous phosphors in the lab, but zinc sulfide and strontium aluminate are the ones that are most commonly used in glow-in-the-dark products, with strontium aluminate being the longer lasting of the two. The chemicals are mixed right in with the plastic that is molded into glow in the dark stars for your ceiling or added to the pigment of your Halloween make-up. On rare occasions, something will glow in the dark without needing to be charged. These items stil
The most common way of making an object glowglowglow in the dark is to use chemicals called phosphors to produce light. These kind of glowglowglow-in-the-dark objects need to be exposed to light, or charged, in order to glowglowglow. The light energizes the phosphors and excites their electrons. As the electrons lose this extra energy, they release it as a light of their own.
