glow stick heat experiment

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Glow Stick Science Experiment for Kids

How do glow sticks work explore their chemistry by comparing what happens when you submerge them in different temperatures..

Playing with glow sticks is a fun, hands-on way for your young scientist to see how energy can be transformed from stored chemical energy to light energy.  By simply submerging the glowing sticks in water your child can observe how brightness produced by the chemical reaction changes, depending on temperature. Here's how:

• At least 3 glow sticks that are the same size and color
• 2 foam cups
• A thermometer (optional)
• Kitchen tongs
• Permanent marker

Step 1: Give your child a glow stick to observe. Ask what she sees when she looks at it closely. Tell her that the bubbles contain chemicals.

Step 2: Fill one foam cup with hot water from the tap.

Step 4: Use the permanent marker to label one stick “hot,” one stick “cold,” and the third stick “room temperature.”

Step 5: Ask whether she thinks a glow stick will glow brighter in hot or cold water.

Step 8: After three minutes, remove the glow sticks from the water and place them side-by-side on the table with the room temperature glow stick. Ask your child if she can see a difference between them.

Step 9: Have your child put the sticks in order from brightest to dimmest. Was her guess correct?

Step 10: Optional: Let her test the same thing using different colored glow sticks to see whether some colors glow brighter than others.  

Crack two glow sticks to activate them. Put one in the freezer overnight. Leave the other one at room temperature. Compare them the next morning.

The Science Behind the Fun

Stored energy is called potential energy. Glow sticks contain potential energy in the form of chemicals: fluorescent dyes and a chemical called hydrogen peroxide. No light can be released until the chemicals are mixed together.

When you mix the chemicals together by cracking the glow stick, they react to make new chemicals and release excess energy in the form of light, transforming chemical energy into light energy. How brightly the sticks glow depends on the temperature of their environment.

Adding heat to a chemical reaction makes it happen faster, so adding heat to a glow stick makes it produce more light energy for a short period of time. However, a colder glow stick will glow longer since it’s reacting and releasing light energy more slowly.

You can find more experiments like this one at kitchenpantryscientist.com , and in my books Kitchen Science Lab for Kids (Quarry Books), Outdoor Science Lab for Kids (Quarry Books), and my upcoming book STEAM Lab for Kids: 52 Creative Projects Exploring Science, Technology, Art and Math (available wherever books are sold).

All photos © Energy Lab for Kids (Quarry Books 2017)

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Glow Stick Science Experiment Ideas

Glow sticks are fun devices that emit light through a chemical reaction (chemiluminescence). Here are glow stick experiment ideas, so you can have fun with the colored light and learn something, too!

Quick Overview of How Glow Sticks Work

It isn’t absolutely necessary to understand the chemistry behind how a glow stick works, but it may help you design more advanced experiments.

A glow stick is a plastic tube that contains a liquid and a glass capsule filled with another liquid. The liquid in the glass capsule is a hydrogen peroxide solution. The fluid outside the tube is diphenyl oxalate, a fluorescent dye, and a base catalyst (usually sodium salicylate). Snapping a glow stick breaks the glass capsule so the two liquids react. The reaction oxidizes diphenyl oxalate into phenol and peroxyacid ester. Peroxyacid ester decomposes to produce carbon dioxide, releasing energy that excites the fluorescent dye so that it releases photons (light). Adjusting the ratio of the chemicals changes how brightly a glow stick glows and how long its light lasts.

Glow Stick Experiment #1: Effect of Temperature

Glow sticks emit light because of a chemical reaction, so the most popular glow stick experiment is testing the effect of temperature on how long a glow stick lasts and how brightly it glows.

Start by applying the scientific method . Make observations of glow sticks and form a prediction of what you think will happen to a glow stick in a cold temperature and hot temperature, compared to room temperature. Conduct an experiment to test the prediction or hypothesis . Snap three glow sticks. Place one in a freezer, leave one at room temperature, and place the other in a bowl of hot water (or other warm location). Compare how brightly each glow stick glows and how long they last.

The Science (Spoiler Alert) : Temperature affects the rates of chemical reactions. Usually, temperature speeds the rate of a reaction. This applies to the glow stick reaction, too. At higher temperatures, the reaction releases more energy to excite the fluorescent dye. The glow stick glows more brightly, but the reactions reaches its conclusion quickly. In contrast, cooler temperatures slow the reaction so it lasts longer but produces a dimmer light.

Glow Stick Experiment #2: Exothermic or Endothermic?

A glow stick releases energy in the form of light, so it is an example of an exergonic reaction . Is it also an exothermic (heat-releasing) reaction or is it an endothermic (heat-absorbing) reaction ?

For a fun experiment, start with the scientific method. Make observations, make a prediction, and test the prediction with an experiment. If the glow stick reaction was highly exothermic or endothermic, you could simply crack the stick, hold it in your hand, and record whether it gets hot or cold. By this point, you’ve held a glow stick and know it’s neither very hot nor very color. A better approach is to place each stick in an insulated cup of room temperature water with a thermometer and see whether or not the reaction changes the reading.

The Science (Spoiler Alert) : Unless your thermometer is very sensitive, you probably did not record a temperature change from the glow stick reaction. It’s an exergonic reaction, but not an exothermic reaction. How is this possible? The answer is pretty technical: the reaction violates the Woodward-Hoffmann rules so the stereochemical conformation that releases heat is a forbidden transition. The simple explanation is that the structure of the dye allows it to absorb energy and release it as light, but it can’t use that energy to change its shape and release heat. (Actually, a glow stick releases a tiny amount of heat, but not enough to really matter.)

Design Your Own Experiment

Some of the coolest science experiments come from asking “what would happen” questions. For example, what do you think would happen if you mixed the contents of a glow stick and a ferrofluid (liquid magnet). Make a prediction, form a hypothesis, and design an experiment to test the hypothesis.

Do you think the two liquids mix so you won’t see the light from the glow stick? Maybe the liquid magnet makes the glow stick brighter. Maybe the two chemicals don’t mix at all and nothing happens.

Do you have a hypothesis? Here’s what happens:

Ideas for fun glow stick experiments include:

• Is carbon dioxide produced by the glow stick reaction?
• Does adding hydrogen peroxide to the glow stick contents make the light glow brighter or affect how long the light lasts?
• Does mixing milk (which is slightly acidic ) with glow stick contents affect the reaction?
• Do all the glow stick colors glow the same length of time?
• How does mixing two glow stick colors affect the color of light that is produced? Is it like mixing pigments or like mixing light?
• Karukstis, Kerry K.; Van Hecke, Gerald R. (2003-04-10).  Chemistry Connections: The Chemical Basis of Everyday Phenomena . Academic Press. ISBN 9780124001510. 
• Kuntzleman, Thomas Scott; Rohrer, Kristen; Schultz, Emeric (2012-06-12). “The Chemistry of Lightsticks: Demonstrations To Illustrate Chemical Processes”.  Journal of Chemical Education .  89  (7): 910–916. doi: 10.1021/ed200328d
• Kuntzleman, Thomas S.; Comfort, Anna E.; Baldwin, Bruce W. (2009). “Glowmatography”.  Journal of Chemical Education .  86  (1): 64. doi: 10.1021/ed086p64

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Glow Stick Experiment with Chemiluminescence Science

Do your kids enjoy playing with glow sticks? Check out this quick and simple glow stick experiment you can do while you enjoy some nighttime fun with glow sticks. We love to do cool science experiments and even one on the spot like this glow stick science activity . Is the glow of a glow stick affected by its surrounding temperature? Let’s check out a little bit more about chemiluminescence.

What happens in a simple glow stick experiment?

How does a glow stick glow? It’s the chemical reaction in the glowstick. Chemiluminescence means the glow occurs from the chemical reaction that happens when the stick is snapped—electrons within the stick increase in energy level when the reaction occurs.

When the electrons settle down, the energy released comes out in the form of light, the chemiluminescence part. Hint: chem as in chemical and lumi as in light.

Here’s the experiment! What happens to glowsticks in the freezer ? See below for ideas on how to set up a glow stick science fair project.

SUPPLIES FOR GLOW STICK EXPERIMENT :

You guessed it. GLOW STICKS. (2 of the same color is best)

• Ice/Freezer

Set Up For Glowstick Experiment:

Step 1: Snap the lights and shake according to directions. Are they glowing?

Step 2: Play with them for a little bit. Check out their glow,  light level, and color.

Step 3: Place one glow stick in the freezer or an ice container.

Step 4. Place one glow stick in a container of hot water.

Step 5: Set a timer for a few minutes.

Step 6: Bring the glow sticks out of their containers and compare their colors. This is why the same color will work best. However, you could have a few different colors for your glow stick experiment.

Step 7: Talk about your findings. Which temperature gives a brighter light? Dimmer light?

Here are the two glow sticks. One is still in the warm water, and one we just took out of the freezer. As you can see, the freezer glow stick is dimmer. Why is this? The cold temperature slows the chemical reaction, resulting in a dimmer light. The hot water speeds up the reaction, resulting in a brighter light.

Glow stick experiment side by side. We popped the freezer stick into the warm water just for comparison. As you can see, the colors or brightness are pretty different! What else can you try for this glow stick experiment? Try different water temperatures to see if you can get varying stages of brightness.

When you finish your glow stick experiment and play, pop them into the freezer to see if they still glow in the morning. The colder temperature will slow down the reaction, potentially making it last longer.

Glow Stick Science Fair Project

For a fantastic but simple and affordable science fair project, consider exploring the fascinating world of luminescence through this glow stick experiment. Glow sticks are a popular and accessible source of chemiluminescence, a chemical reaction that produces light without heat.

This project allows students to delve into the principles of chemistry and the concept of energy transfer. The experiment can be structured to investigate various factors influencing glow stick brightness, such as temperature, different liquids, or even the age of the glow stick.

Kids can hypothesize, test their theories, and analyze results to conclude the chemical reactions occurring within the glow stick. This project provides a hands-on experience with scientific inquiry, making it an excellent choice for a science fair presentation.

Kids can take everything they have learned about using the scientific method , stating a hypothesis, choosing variables , making observations, and analyzing and presenting data.

Check out these helpful resources.

• Science Project Tips From A Teacher
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Great experiment! We often put glow sticks in the freezer when we’re done with them and they last several days!

Thanks! We did leave ours over night and it came to life again.

Oh my gosh my guy will be thrilled to try this. We have been playing with glow sticks in the bath, building with them, etc. This will be great.

What are your variables in this experiment? Controlled, independent, and dependent?

This is probably more of an activity than an experiment as we did it on the spur of the moment. We lit three glow sticks at the same time and popped on win the freezer, one in hot water, and left one out.

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Source:  Royal Society of Chemistry

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The glow stick reaction.

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Light up the classroom with this simple, safe and value-for-money demonstration of chemiluminescence

Watch the video and download technician notes from the  Education in Chemistry website : rsc.li/2IoVGZG

The chemiluminescence of luminol is a fascinating way to demonstrate that energy changes in reactions don’t always involve the release or absorption of heat. But while the glow is beautiful and impressive, it can be brief and students often ask how other colours are made.

Luminol’s blue colour can be modified to more of a yellowy green by masking with fluorescein, but commercial glow sticks involve the generation of intermediates that do not themselves give off visible light but rather pass energy to dyes or ‘sensitisers’. These reactions also lend themselves to discussions or investigations of kinetics.

However, glow stick reactions often involve expensive dyes and the use of solvents that are either unlikely to be found in a typical school store (diethyl phthalate), or are unsuitable for use in school (dichloromethane). In this column, I’ll focus on a glow stick reaction that represents value, simplicity and safety. 1

However, glow stick reactions often involve expensive dyes and the use of solvents that are either unlikely to be found in a typical school store (diethyl phthalate), or are unsuitable for use in school (dichloromethane). In this column, I’ll focus on a glow stick reaction that represents value, simplicity and safety.

Download the technican notes ( MS Word or pdf ) for this demonstration.

Preparation of the chemiluminescent compound, bis(2,4,6-trichlorophenyl) oxalate (TCPO)

There are a variety of diphenylester compounds that can produce the desired results. TCPO is chosen for its favourable stability once synthesised, as well as the brightness and duration of the glow produced. The compound is prohibitively expensive to purchase but can be simply synthesised by a teacher or technician ahead of time – this could also be undertaken by reliable sixth-formers under close supervision in a science club.

The acid chloride reacts far faster than the carboxylic acid equivalent, and the removal of the evolved hydrogen chloride by the basic triethylamine helps to drive the reaction further towards completion with expected yields around 65%. 2

The acid chloride reacts far faster than the carboxylic acid equivalent, and the removal of the evolved hydrogen chloride by the basic triethylamine helps to drive the reaction further towards completion with expected yields around 65%.

Synthesis of TCPO, using 2,4,6-trichlorophenol and oxalyl chloride

• 4.7 g 2,4,6-trichlorophenol (TCP) (irritant, harmful if swallowed, dangerous for the environment, suspected carcinogen)
• 40 cm 3 acetone (flammable, irritant)
• 3.5 cm 3 triethylamine (flammable, harmful if swallowed, toxic by skin contact)
• 1.5 cm 3 oxalyl chloride (corrosive, respiratory irritant, contact with water releases flammable gases)
• 100 cm 3 round-bottomed flask
• Drying tube
• Large beaker and approx 200 g ice for an ice bath
• Suction filtration apparatus
• Magnetic stirrer and follower

Preparation

Work in a fume cupboard. Wear gloves and splash-proof goggles. Place a beaker to act as an ice bath on a magnetic stirrer and clamp a 100 cm 3 round-bottomed flask within it. Add 4.7 g of TCP followed by 40 cm 3 acetone. Start stirring the mixture and add 3.5 cm 3 of triethylamine. Cool the mixture by adding ice and water to the beaker. Slowly add 1.5 cm 3 of oxalyl chloride with time for cooling on each addition. Add one drop of triethylamine, place a drying tube on the flask and leave stirring for 20 minutes. The product will crystallise out and can be filtered, air-dried under suction and will remain stable in a sample vial for several months.

Source: © Declan Fleming

Demonstrating the glow stick reaction

The chemiluminescent reaction is initiated by the oxidation of the oxalate ester in the presence of hydrogen peroxide and catalysed by a base such as sodium acetate. The initial oxidation product is 1,2-dioxetanedione, which rapidly decomposes to electronically excited carbon dioxide. Alone this will not efficiently chemiluminesce but a fluorescent dye can capture energy from the CO 2 efficiently and release this in the form of visible light. 3

The chemiluminescent reaction is initiated by the oxidation of the oxalate ester in the presence of hydrogen peroxide and catalysed by a base such as sodium acetate. The initial oxidation product is 1,2-dioxetanedione, which rapidly decomposes to electronically excited carbon dioxide. Alone this will not efficiently chemiluminesce but a fluorescent dye can capture energy from the CO 2  efficiently and release this in the form of visible light.

The glow stick reaction: the oxidation product 1,2-dioxetanedione rapidly decomposes to form electronically excited CO 2 – a fluorescent dye can capture this energy and release it in the form of visible light

• Glass 20 cm 3 sample vial with lid
• 5 cm 3 ethyl acetate (flammable, irritant)
• 5 cm 3 ethanol (flammable, harmful if swallowed)
• 2 cm 3 10 vol hydrogen peroxide in ethanol (flammable)
• 0.1 g TCPO (irritant)
• 0.05 g sodium acetate
• 0.05 g rhodamine B (harmful if swallowed, causes serious eye damage, dangerous for the aquatic environment)
• Spatulas and wooden splints / microspatulas

In front of the class

For the best effect work in a darkened room. Wear eye protection and gloves. Transfer approx ½ a spatula of TCPO to the sample vial (approx 0.1 g) and the tip of a splint / microspautula of the other two solids (approx 0.05 g). Add the ethyl acetate and ethanol then shake with the lid on to dissolve the dye and suspend the base. Finally add the hydrogen peroxide and shake the mixture one more time to initiate the reaction. The red glow will persist for several minutes.

Teaching goal

Numerous kinetic effects can be demonstrated here. First, it’s possible to show the catalytic behaviour of the base. Repeating the demonstration without this reagent will leave little to no visible glow, but on addition of the base, the glow will initiate – on close inspection the glow can be seen as the most dramatic around the suspended base powder particles. Further explorations showing the effect of increasing hydrogen peroxide concentration are very simple.

Other (potentially more costly) dyes are available to generate different and brighter colours – rhodamine B has been chosen for its relatively cheap price but rubrene gives a significantly stronger and longer-lasting orange glow. 9,10-diphenylanthracene also produces a brighter blue glow. Chlorophyll extracted from spinach leaves generates a red glow that can be discussed in the context of its green colour under visible light.

Temperature effects on the rate of reaction can be easily demonstrated by dipping the lidded sample vial in an ice bath and back into warm water – the glow will diminish and return accordingly.

The mixture can be left to evaporate in a beaker at the back of a fume cupboard to leave a crystalline residue of 2,4,6-trichlorophenol and dye. The bulk of the solid material can be scraped into a container for collection by a registered waste contractor and any remaining material can be diluted and poured down a foul water drain.

Technician notes - the glow stick reaction

1 R Nixon, School Science Review , 2011, 14

2 A G Mohan and N J Turro, J Chem Ed , 1974, 51 , 528 (DOI:  10.1021/ed051p528 )

3 G B Schuster, Acc Chem Res , 1979, 12 , 366 (DOI:  10.1021/ar50142a003 )

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All Science Fair Projects

1000 science fair projects with complete instructions.

Glow Sticks: Temperature Effects

Science fair project description.

The light from a glow stick will extinguish more quickly at higher temperatures.  

Glow stick Glow sticks are plastic tubes containing chemicals that produce a temporary glow of light when they are mixed together. This process is called chemiluminescence, where light is produced by a chemical reaction without an electrical source. The chemicals used in the glow stick consist of a fluorescent dye with diphenyl oxalate and hydrogen peroxide. Mixing the chemicals causes a reaction which produces peroxyacid ester and phenol. The decomposition of the peroxyacid ester into carbon dioxide releases energy that excites the atoms in the fluorescent dye, causing it to release particles of light called photons. Glow sticks are constructed of 2 internal containers which separate the chemicals. A small and fragile container is encased in a larger and more flexible outer container. When the plastic stick is bent, the fragile wall of the smaller container breaks and the 2 chemicals mix, producing light which makes the stick glow. Glow sticks are popularly used during parties, night parades, concerts and festivals.  Glow sticks are also useful in places that do not have a power source and they are regularly used by campers, divers and military personal. Another application for glow sticks is in places that have been struck by disasters like tsunamis, earthquakes or tornadoes. These places pose the danger of gas leaks and since glow sticks do not produce sparks, they are safe to use in such situations.  

Scientific Terms

The materials required for this science fair project: -    5 beakers -    1500ml distilled water -    A measurement cylinder -    25 glow sticks -    A stopwatch -    2 hot plates -    5 thermometers -    A bag of ice

1.    For this science fair project, the independent variable is the temperature of the water in the beaker, i.e. 5°C, 15°C, 25°C, 35°C and 45°C. The dependent variable is the average length of time the sticks will glow. This is determined by using a stopwatch to measure the time. The constants (control variables) are the size of the beaker, amount of water in the beaker and type of glow stick used. 2.    The 5 beakers are labeled  “5°C”, “15°C”, “25°C”, “35°C” and “45°C”. Using a measuring cylinder, 300ml of distilled water is poured into each beaker. A thermometer is placed in each beaker. 3.    The required amount of ice is added into the 1st and 2nd beakers to maintain their temperatures at 5°C and 15°C. The temperature of the 3rd beaker will be maintained at 25°C, i.e. room temperature. The 4th and 5th beaker are placed on hot plates and the temperatures of the water in the beakers are brought to 35°C and 45°C. 4.    The 25 glow sticks are snapped and 5 of them are placed in each beaker.  The stopwatch is started and the lights in the room are switched off or curtains are drawn to reduce room light. The time taken for the light in the glow sticks to be extinguished is observed. The average time taken for the 5 sticks in each beaker to stop glowing is recorded and the results are shown in the table below.  

It is observed that the glow sticks in the warmer waters glowed brighter but they also extinguished the fastest. The glow sticks in cold water were dimmer but continued to produce light the longest.

The graph below represents the results of our science project experiment:  

The hypothesis that light from a glow stick will extinguish faster at higher temperatures is correct. Glow sticks are very popular with children at all sorts of festive events and parties. Spectators  carry them duringparades to add to the festive atmosphere. However, the plastic tubes/containers need to be disposed properly after use because the chemicals within the glow sticks are toxic. Contact with skin must be avoided.

Also consider

Try to repeat the science fair project using different colored glow sticks and compare their glow time. The experiment can also be done to compare results produced by different sized and shapes of glow sticks.  

Glow stick - http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Glow_stick How light sticks work - http://science.howstuffworks.com/light-stick.htm " Glow in the dark mountain dew - http://chemistry.about.com/b/2008/03/03/glow-in-the-dark-mountain-dew-2.htm

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Chemistry@Home

Glow Sticks

• Three glow sticks • Two cups of ice (or a freezer) • Two cups of hot water (~ 110 °F (43 °C)) • Two four cup measuring cups

Materials Needed ​ ​

· Glow sticks of different colors

· Stopwatch

Optional Materials ​ ​

Parental Supervision

Recommend for 5 and under

Time Required

0-30 Minutes

Age Recommendation

0-3 , 3-8 , 8-12 , 12-18 , 18+

According to the manufacturer, the mixture of the two components of glow sticks are nontoxic either to the skin or through ingestion and the mixture is not irritating to the eyes. In the event of a rupture of the plastic container, wash thoroughly with water. The solution in the glow stick will stain clothing and soften or mar paint and varnish.

1. Remove the plastic tube from the foil wrapper and bend the plastic tube slightly to break the thin tube inside and shake. 2. The glow stick should start to glow immediately after the tube inside the glow stick is broken. 3. To examine the effect of temperature on light intensity, one of the glow sticks can be immersed into a container containing ice water (or placed in the freezer). 4. The intensity of this glow stick should decrease. 5. Place the third glow stick in the container with hot water. The temperature must not exceed 160 °F (70 °C) to avoid melting the plastic tube. 6. The intensity of this glow stick should increase.

1. The glow sticks can be cycled between cooling and heating to observe how temperature can influence a chemical reaction.

2. The effect of color on the glow stick intensity, when cooled or heated, can also be examined by repeating steps 1-6 with different color glow sticks.

3. A stopwatch can be used to measure the length of the glow of the glow stick when heated.

Upon completion of the experiment, the glow stick can be placed in the trash can and can be disposed of in the same manner as conventional household waste. No special waste handling is needed.

What is going on?

Glow sticks are wrapped in an airtight foil wrapper, due to the sensitivity to humidity. If the wrapper is punctured and the glow stick is not used within a few days, the light emission will be reduced. If the glow stick is left in the damaged wrapper for an extended period of time, it may be become completely deactivated. If the foil wrapper is not damaged, glow sticks can have a shelf life of up to 4 years.

The glow stick can be placed in the freezer to see how long the glow stick can retain its glow upon warming to room temperature. There have been reports of a glow stick still being able to demonstrate a faint glow even after remaining in a home freezer for over six months.

Glow sticks work by having a dilute (~ 0.5 %) hydrogen peroxide (H2O2) solution in a thin glass tube. This glass tube is surrounded by a solution containing a bis(phenyl)oxalate and a fluorescent dye, often 9,10-bis(phenylethynyl)anthracene for green glow sticks. When the ampule is broken, the H2O2 reacts with the oxalate ester to generate a phenyl oxalate ester and phenol.

The phenyl oxalate ester then decomposes (breaks apart) into a second molecule of phenol and a peroxyacid ester. This peroxyacid ester is a very unstable molecule. As you can see, the peroxyacid ester is two carbon dioxide molecule connected together.

As the reaction proceeds, the unstable peroxyacid ester decomposes to two carbon dioxide molecules and transfers energy to a dye molecule. The energy transfer to the dye molecule causes the dye molecule to become excited to a higher energy state. This higher energy state is not very stable, and visible light is emitted as the dye molecule relaxes to the lower energy ground state. Pictures of the dye molecules that are used to generate glow sticks of different colors are seen below.

Discussion Questions

1. Why does the light intensity increase with an increase in temperature and decrease when cooled

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Answer: When the glow stick is heated, the reaction occurs at a faster rate resulting in a more intense glow stick, as more dye molecules are being excited. When the glow stick is cooled, the reaction slows down, resulting in less dye molecules being excited leading to a less intense glow stick.

2. Why does the glow stick last longer when cooled and glow for a shorter time period when heated?

Answer: Cooling the glow stick causes for the reaction to occur at a slower rate. The slower reaction causes for the reaction between bis(phenyl)oxalate and hydrogen peroxide to occur over a longer period of time, leading to the glow stick glowing longer, but less intense. The opposite phenomenon is observed upon heating the glow stick. When the glow stick is heated, the reaction between bis(phenyl)oxalate and hydrogen peroxide goes faster, resulting in the glow disappearing in a shorter time period, but with a more intense glow.

3. This reaction is irreversible. What does that mean?

Answer: When a reaction is irreversible it only occurs in one direction.

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Glow-Stick Science

Find out how chemistry allows glow sticks to light up the night, essential question: what is a chemical reaction can you give an example.

Trick-or-treaters often carry glow sticks to make themselves more visible in the dark as they travel door-to-door. But how exactly do these Halloween staples produce their eerie glow? They rely on chemical reactions , which occur when substances interact and change to create new substances. Some chemical reactions—like those happening inside glow sticks—give off light. This process is called chemiluminescence (ke-mee-loo-mih-NEH-sens). 

Trick-or-treaters carry glow sticks as they travel from door to door. This makes them more visible in the dark. But how exactly do these sticks make their eerie glow? They use chemical reactions , which occur when substances mix and change to create new substances. Some chemical reactions—like those happening inside glow sticks—give off light. This process is called chemiluminescence (kem-mee-loo-mih-NEH-sens).

A glow stick is made of a flexible, transparent plastic tube filled with a dye solution, a liquid mixture made up of two or more substances. The tube also holds a smaller glass vial that contains hydrogen peroxide —the same chemical used to treat cuts and scrapes. To activate the glow stick, a person bends the tube, breaking the vial inside. This allows the different chemicals to mix. Once they come in contact with one another, they react and glow. Glow sticks keep making light until all the chemicals inside them react, anywhere from 4 to 12 hours.

A glow stick is made of a flexible, see-through plastic tube. It’s filled with a dye solution, a liquid mixture of two or more substances. The tube also holds a smaller glass vial that contains hydrogen peroxide . That’s the same chemical used to treat cuts and scrapes. To turn on the glow stick, a person bends the tube. This breaks the vial inside, and the different chemicals mix. After they come in contact, they react and glow. Glow sticks keep making light until all the chemicals inside them react. This takes anywhere from 4 to 12 hours.

HOW A GLOW STICK WORKS

Bending a glow stick breaks the glass tube inside it. This releases hydrogen peroxide.

The hydrogen peroxide reacts with the phenyl oxalate ester. It creates an unstable compound that breaks down and releases energy.

The energy excites negatively charged particles called electrons in the atoms of the dye molecules.

This causes the molecules to release the extra energy as light.

Edwin Chandross, a chemist at the research company Bell Labs in New Jersey, first discovered the reactions needed to make glow sticks light up in the 1960s. The same type of reactions are still used today. Glow sticks now come in a variety of colors, from green to red to blue, depending on the type of dye they contain. And the sticks aren’t used just for fun. Military personnel, emergency responders, and underwater divers rely on glow sticks to see in dark places and alert others to their presence.

In the 1960s, Edwin Chandross discovered the reactions that make glow sticks light up. He worked as a chemist at the research company Bell Labs in New Jersey. The same type of reactions are still used today. Glow sticks now come in different colors. They range from green to red to blue, depending on the type of dye they hold. And the sticks aren’t used just for fun. Military personnel, emergency responders, and underwater divers rely on glow sticks. The light helps them see in dark places and lets others know where they are.

COLOR CHEMISTRY

Different dye molecules inside glow sticks produce different colors. The molecule shown here creates an eerie green glow.

NAME THAT GLOW

Chemiluminescence is just one way to produce light. Here are some others.

SHUTTERSTOCK (INCANDESCENCE, FLUORESCENCE); COURTESY JOLYON YATES (PHOSPHORESCENCE); ISTOCK/GETTY IMAGES (RADIOLUMINESCENCE); DARWIN DALE/PHOTO RESEARCHERS, INC./SCIENCE SOURCE (BIOLUMINESCENCE)

INCANDESCENCE: A substance like the metal tungsten (W), used to make the filaments in conventional light bulbs, gives off light when heated.

FLUORESCENCE: A substance like the coating on the inside of a fluorescent light bulb absorbs one wavelength of light and quickly releases another.

PHOSPHORESCENCE: A substance like zinc sulfide in glow-in-the-dark stickers absorbs light energy and releases it over an extended period of time.

RADIOLUMINESCENCE: A substance like a phosphor releases light when hit with ionizing radiation (high-energy particles or waves).

BIOLUMINESCENCE: Chemical reactions produce light inside a living organism.

CORE QUESTION: Describe the process that results in a glow stick lighting up.

How Do Lightsticks Work?

Chemiluminescence In Action

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Lightsticks or glowsticks are used by trick-or-treaters, divers, campers, and for decoration and fun! A lightstick is a plastic tube with a glass vial inside of it. In order to activate a lightstick, you bend the plastic stick, which breaks the glass vial. This allows the chemicals that were inside the glass to mix with the chemicals in the plastic tube. Once these substances contact each other, a reaction starts taking place. The reaction releases light, causing the stick to glow.

A Chemical Reaction Releases Energy

Some chemical reactions release energy ; the chemical reaction in a lightstick releases energy in the form of light. The light produced by this chemical reaction is called chemiluminescence .

Although the light-producing reaction is not caused by heat and may not produce heat, the rate at which it occurs is affected by temperature. If you place a lightstick in a cold environment (like a freezer), then the chemical reaction will slow down. Less light will be released while the lightstick is cold, but the stick will last much longer. On the other hand, if you immerse a lightstick in hot water, the chemical reaction will speed up. The stick will glow much more brightly but will wear out faster too.

Glow Stick Science Experiment

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Most kids love glow-in the dark things. Using glow sticks, you can set up a science demonstration lab that shows children how chemical reactions work, and teaches them about the light spectrum at the same time. Since glow sticks do use chemicals, it is not recommended to let the kids touch any of the glow liquid. However, the glow stick science demonstration can effectively illustrate several scientific concepts that will teach more about light, chemical reactions, and energy.

Getting the Glow Stick Science Experiment Ready

The set up for this experiment is a bit tricky and should only be done by a teacher.

You will need:

• 3 colors of glow sticks : yellow, blue, and pink (we found jumbo glow sticks worked best)
• 6 small glass containers
• 1 plastic tray
• Paper towels
• Mesh colander
• Latex gloves
• Safety goggles

Label two jars with each color name (so two pinks, two yellows, etc.). Put on your gloves and safety goggles .

Carefully cut open the top of each glow stick with a knife .

Pour the liquid into one container labeled with that color.

Rinse out the inside of the glow stick with water and the glass rod inside the stick.

Carefully break open the glass tube inside the plastic tube and pour the center liquid into the other container labeled with that color’s name. Make sure you’re not getting any glass shards into the containers , which you can prevent by using a mesh colander .

Repeat this process for each glow stick . If you don’t rinse the tubes well enough, the chemicals will start to react before you’re ready to start the demonstration. So it is important to make sure they are clean before opening the center rod.

We used three glow sticks per color, but the more you open, the more liquid you will have to illustrate the science lesson.

Glow Stick Science Experiment Safety

The chemicals in glow sticks are non-toxic. However, they are extremely bitter to taste and should not be handled by children. When doing this science demonstration, it is recommended to wear latex gloves, wear safety goggles, and only allow teachers or parents to handle the glow stick fluid. This will ensure maximum safety.

Doing the Glow Stick Science Experiment

Once all colors are out of the glow sticks, place the containers on your tray. Turn off the lights and show the kids how the fluids are not yet reacting and are not glowing at all .

Carefully pour the two liquids together , one color at a time. Kids will love how quickly the solution starts to glow. At this point, you can talk about why the liquid lights up and what chemical properties are causing this interesting and colorful reaction.

After all colors are mixed, show the kids how when you mix all of the colors , the combined liquid starts to give off a white light. This is because the colors start reflecting all light frequencies, so individual color is no longer visible.

The Science Behind Glow Sticks

Glow sticks contain two sets of chemicals that when combined , create a chemical reaction called Chemiluminescence .

In the outer part of the glow stick, a combination of phenyl oxalate ester and fluorescent dye are used. Inside the glass tube, a combination of  hydrogen peroxide and a phthalate ester solvent are mixed. When the two chemicals are mixed, they create a chemical reaction that causes oxygen atoms to move around quickly , which creates an unstable compound that gives off energy. The extra energy from the mixture causes the dyed molecules to move faster, creating a glowing effect.

When the three colors of dye are mixed, they reflect all light, creating a “white light” effect.

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