If you're looking for a way to get your children interested in science, the humble light bulb might be just the thing. Black lights are essentially regular light bulbs coated in such a way that they primarily emit ultraviolet (UV) rays so you can see things normally out of your range of vision. Black lights don't actually look black – instead they appear to be a dark purple color and are available as incandescent, fluorescent and LED form. By getting a black light or two, you can "wow" your kids with the many things that they will be able to see and perhaps create a budding scientist. Here are a few of the interesting things your kids can see become fluorescent with a black light.
Living Creatures
There are many types of creatures that will glow under a UV or black light, and some of them may surprise you. Some examples include:
- Crawdads
- Scorpions
- Millipedes
- Centipedes
You can also experiment with common household insects and creatures such as beetles, pill bugs and even earthworms to see which will glow and which will not.
Things Around The House
The amount of items around your home that contain natural phosphors (the stuff that glows under a black light) will delight your kids. Wait until dark, turn off all of the regular lights and if you have a portable black light, some of the things that will glow include:
- Money
- Driver's licenses
- Skin
- Fingernails
- Teeth
- Spots on the carpet
- Certain types of rock
- Highlighters
You can have a lot of fun writing things on paper with highlighters then turning on the black light – it's amazing how the words will glow! Try having everyone wear a white t-shirt as well, as these will become brilliantly glowing shirts.
How To Make Science Fun
If you want to really get a lot of kids interested in science, have a black light party where everyone has to keep track of the things that glow. Be sure to stock up on plenty of fun items like highlighters, white paper, and objects that will give off a glow. Have several colors of regular paint or glow in the dark paint available for the kids to use on white paper, and have them keep track of which ones will glow. You can also hand out inexpensive glow sticks for the kids to wear as well and they can wave them around and make designs in the air.
Even if your black light fun doesn't produce a chemistry prodigy, it will still be an unforgettable experience for your kids! Contact Pacific Lamp Wholesale Inc for more information.
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