Most people associate black light with the darkish purple bulbs that are used during Halloween and in dance clubs for effect, but very few people actually know how they work. The light operates at a different wavelength than visible light and causes certain chemical elements to fluoresce when light is held over them. The light itself emits UV spectrum light, which is invisible to the naked eye and the reason that these bulbs appear to give off a slight glow when turned on. There are a number of household items that you can round up and put under a black light, which will make them glow.
Household Products
Tonic Water - Yes, tonic water is the stuff you throw into your gin and tonic when you are fixing yourself a drink. But what you probably didn't know is that flat tonic water can be used illuminated by a black bulbs. All tonic water contains a chemical called "quinine", which is a natural crystal alkaloid. The quinine becomes florescent when the dark light bulb is held over it.
Laundry Detergent - Not all laundry detergents will glow with a black light. It is only the brands that advertise the use of a "brightening agent". The brightening agent functions by absorbing the UV spectrum light and then emitting afterward. The higher the concentration the more florescent the detergent will be under the black light.
B-12 Pills - As odd as it sounds, drug store bought B-12 vitamin pills will become florescent when mixed with vinegar. All you have to do is buy the vitamin pills, crush them into the vinegar and stir well. When the two elements full combine, the mixture will become florescent when placed under a black light source.
So you are probably wondering what this means or why it is useful. First of all, you can do some pretty cool science experiments if you are a teacher and quiz your students on how much they know about black lights. Second, if you are not a teacher, you just learned some pretty cool party tricks and we can never have enough of those right?
Here's a website with more information on how black lights [work].
Harvey J. Sharp is an avid traveler and writer, who spends little time in the United States, preferring South America, India and parts of Asia. His interests are in art, design, photography and sculpture.
