You are on page 1of 9

Make Glowing Water

Make glowing water with the help of a black light in this fun science experiment for kids. Tonic water doesn't look very strange under normal light but what happens
when you look at it under a black light? Does the dye from a highlighter pen do the same thing? Find out what happens and why it happens with this cool
experiment that you can do at home.

What you'll need:

 A black light (you can find them at places like Walmart and
hardware stores, as well as online stores like Amazon).
 Tonic water or a highlighter pen.
 A dark room to do the experiment.

Instructions:

1. If you are using a highlighter pen carefully break it open, remove


the felt and soak it in a small amount of water for a few minutes.
2. Find a dark room.
3. Turn on the black light near your water, how does it look?

What's happening?

Simple explanation:

The ultra violet (UV) light coming from your black light lamp excites
things called phosphors. Tonic water and the dye from highlighter pens
contain phosphors that turn UV light (light we can’t see) into visible light
(light we can see). That’s why your water glows in the dark when you
shine a black light on it.
Black lights are used in forensic science, artistic performances,
photography, authentication of banknotes and antiques, and in many
other areas.

Detailed explanation:

Black light (also known as UV or ultra violet light) is a part of the


electromagnetic spectrum. The electromagnetic spectrum also includes
infrared, X-rays, visible light (what the human eye can see) and other
types of electromagnetic radiation. A black light lamp such as the one
you used emits a UV light that can illuminate objects and materials that
contain phosphors. Phosphors are special substances that emit light
(luminescence) when excited by radiation. Your water glowed under the
black light because it contained phosphors. If you used a highlighter pen
then the UV light reacted with phosphors in the dye. If you used tonic
water then the UV light reacted with phosphors in a chemical used in
tonic water called quinine.

There are different types of luminescence, they include fluorescence


(used in this experiment, it glows only when the black light is on),
phosphorescence (similar to fluorescence but with a glow that can last
even after the black light is turned off), chemiluminescence (used to
create glow sticks), bioluminescence (from living organisms) and many
others.
What happened? Did it separate?
The colored tap water has move to the
top of the salted tap water because salt
water is heavier than tap water.
A - p2 a s d t B a g a i
y as no gd a m a n a
d i s ki au pe c a r a n
- 5 t s d
k a n ?
c u k a y a ?
m e j a 1 .
- g e l a s C a m p u r
b e n i n g k a n a i r
d e n g a n
s o d a
k u e .
A d u k
m e r a t a .
2 .
p a t a h k a
n
s e b a t a n
g
s p a g h e t
ti
m e n j a d i
6
p o t o n g
a n k e c i l .
M a s u k k
a n
d a l a m
g e l a s .
S p a g h e t
ti i t u
a k a n
t e n g g e l
a m
3 .
T e t e s k a
n c u k a
k e
d a l a m
g e l a s .
L I H A TL A H
A P A
Y A N G
A K A N
T E R J A D I ?
Apa yang terjadi?
Ketika cuka dan soda kue AYO DICOBA...
bercampur, terjadi reaksi kimia Ambillah sepotong spaghetti, lalu coba
yang menghasilkan CO2. CO2 masukkan dalam gelas, dan tambahkan
tersebut menciptakan gelembung- cuka dapur ke dalam gelas.
Lihatlah bagaimana spaghetti kamu akan
gelembung udara yang melekat menari-nari naik dan turun di dalam
pada potongan spaghetti sehingga gelas.
spaghetti itu melayang-layang naik SELAMAT MENCOBA
dan turun.

You might also like