MadSci Network: Chemistry |
I must have had more success than you did on the web. Try
The answer to your second question is "yes".
Seriously, though, triboluminescence is a phenomenon where light is given
off when a solid material undergoes friction. Typically it is given off in
flashes when crystals fracture. Sucrose (ordinary sugar) is a material that
shows the phenomenon. To observe it, get into a very dark place
(photographic darkroom or similar) with some crystalline sugar and a mortar
and pestle. Wait for your eyes to dark accommodate, and start grinding. You
will see blue or greenish blue flashes of light. The American web pages
say, as you can see, that wintergreen lifesavers are particularly good at
showing triboluminescence. They are a cultural phenomenon with which I am
unfamiliar. The exact reasons why particular materials show
triboluminescence can be different for different materials, and some of
them are quite complicated. It does not seem to be a phenomenon that has
lent itsaelf to any particularly useful applications, which is why you will
not find an enormous amount of material about it.
Try the links in the MadSci Library for more information on Chemistry.
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