Marvin and Milo

Explore physics the exciting way, by trying out a simple and fun experiment. This month, "Glowing". Don't forget to check back next month for the next edition...

Glowing

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What you need

 

An envelope

A Polo mint or similar sugary sweet

Roll of sticky tape

A dark room

A friend or mirror

Instructions

 

  1. Wait about five minutes in a dark room so that your eyes become dark adapted and you can make out some objects.
  2. Rip open the seal of the envelope – you will see a bluish glow.
  3. Try crunching a sweet with your mouth open or ripping a piece of sticky tape off the roll.

Results & explanation


Cracking sugar or ripping apart glued surfaces separates positive and negative electrical charges.  When they recombine the surrounding air is excited, producing flash of bluish light.

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