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Tonic water (which contains quinine)
fluoresces when exposed to ultraviolet light from
a black light. |
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Ultraviolet light is not visible to the human
eye, but we can sometimes see the effects of ultraviolet radiation.
You've probably seen black lights at your local science museum,
or even as part of a Halloween display. Black lights produce
a purple glow (visible light) but they also emit invisible
ultraviolet light. This black light can cause some materials
or substances to glow. Known as phosphors, they glow in response
to ultraviolet radiation.
In the images below you can see phosphors
glowing as they are exposed to black light. Phosphors convert
energy in the radiation into visible light. Different phosphors
produce different fluorescent colors. Unlike normal colors,
fluorescent colors absorb radiation and then re-emit it in
the visible spectrum. This makes fluorescent colors look much
brighter than normal colors.
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