How to Make Things Glow in the Dark

You've probably seen or played with glow-in-the-dark toys like yo-yos or stickers before, they can turn a dark room into a magical world. But have you ever wondered how to make things glow in the dark? Actually it's just plain and simple science.

The items that can glow in the dark usually contains a chemical substance called phosphors. You can put the item under the sunshine or near to the light and they will store the energy for a while. One feature of phosphors is that it can release the stored energy by radiating visible light after being energized, which we see as an object glowing. Sometimes glow-in-the-dark objects will only glow weakly for a short time. Often, you have to place them in a very dark place to see their faint green glow. Newer glow-in-the-dark items may glow more brightly for several hours.

Occasionally you will see something glowing but it does not need charging from the light or sunshine. In these products, the phosphor is mixed with a radioactive element, and the radioactive emissions energize the phosphor continuously. You may have seen this type of luminescence on an expensive watch, for example. Another typical item of that is the glow sticks. It is called chemiluminescence, which makes object glow in the dark because of a chemical reaction. When two particular chemicals react, they produce energy that is subsequently released, thus creating a glow.

Nowadays manufacturers mix their chosen phosphor into plastic and then mold it to the desired shape to make glow-in-the-dark toys. Among them, luminous jewelries are also favored by kids. People produce luminous beads and the smart sellers will make pretty jewelry chains and pendant necklace. Luminescence has become a good selling point and kids are easily attracted by them.