Phosphorescence

What property of light is required to cause a material to phosphoresce? Glow-in-the-dark plastic may seem like a toy, but it has powerful physics embedded into it! The science behind it is called phosphorescence. A phosphorescent material glows for a while after it has been previously exposed to light. In this short investigation you will explore what kind of light is necessary in order to make the plastic phosphoresce. Why do some colors make it glow and others don't?

Glow-in-the-dark plastic may seem like a toy, but it has powerful physics embedded into it! The science behind it is called phosphorescence.

Grade Level: High School

Subject: Physics

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Source Collection: Lab #26B