How can you make glow sticks

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Science Gift Ideas. Info and How To. Food Chemistry. Crystal Growing. Patinas for Metal Artists. Laboratory Procedures. The light in a glow stick is caused by a reaction between two chemicals. One is kept inside a glass tube. Cracking the tube breaks the glass and lets the chemicals mix and react. Cracking too hard will break the glow stick and spill glass and goo that can irritate the skin.

Seal the glow stick in a plastic bag. Put the stick in a zip-locked bag. Press out the air from the bag, then seal it. It's unlikely that the glow stick will break during this method, but just in case, this will make it easy to throw away. Stick the glow stick in a freezer. For best results, stick it underneath a lightweight frozen object. This will freeze the liquids inside, preventing them from reacting. Before you do this, be aware that this can cause excessive ice buildup or freeze liquids in an attached refrigerator.

Take it out and shake it. Check on the glow stick after an hour and try shaking it and cracking it. If this doesn't work, return it to the freezer overnight and try again the next day. Most brands of glow sticks will get a little extra glowing time when the liquids inside melt and recombine. Some brands will be quite bright, while others will just stay at the same dim level, but last longer.

There's no way to tell what will happen without experimenting. Keep it in the plastic bag while you shake it, just in case it breaks. It can take a little while for the glow stick to warm up and glow again.

Method 2. Heat a pot of warm water. Heat until the water begins to steam or simmer. Heat speeds up the chemical reaction that causes the glow. By warming the glow stick, you can make it glow brightly for a short time, sometimes up to half an hour.

Once it's used up, it's used up. Pour the water into a glass jar. A sturdy jar will withstand the heat better than a glass. Find one tall enough to hold most of the glow stick.

Your email address will not be published. Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment. About Us Contact Us. By: admin Published: 1st November Make Your Own. Homemade Glow Stick. How to Make Glow Stick Bubbles. Homemade Glow Stick with Mountain Dew. Download Article Explore this Article methods. Tips and Warnings. Things You'll Need. Related Articles. Article Summary. Method 1.

Wear clothing to protect your eyes and skin. Some of the chemicals are carcinogenic and incredibly dangerous when used improperly. It should also be noted that these are expensive and often difficult to obtain chemicals, best bought in bulk. They are not conducive to only making one or two glow sticks. At the very least, you should have: Latex gloves Ventilated goggles lab goggles Long sleeves Face mask A clean, tidy work station Clean glass tubes or containers with matching lids.

This is your base and makes up the majority of the liquid in your glow sticks. It will hold the chemicals that actually glow and amplify them. Start with 10mL of DP, but know that you can double or half this for bigger or smaller sticks. This looks like water, but the chemical reaction necessary for glowing won't work in water You may have to dig around a bit online to find these chemicals.

If you double the solvent, then you should double the rest of the ingredients below. Add 3 mg of your chosen fluorescent dye to add color. You cannot use normal or additive dyes; make sure you're using fluorescent dyes. These dyes will not be the same color un-mixed as they are when they glow, so trust the guide given below to make your colors.

There are a variety of different dyes you can use, depending on the color you want: 9,bis phenylethynyl anthracene for green Rubrene for yellow 9,diphenylanthracene for blue Rhodamine B for red note: rhodamine decays quickly, meaning reds tend to fade fast.

Mix half yellow, half blue to create white. Add 50 mg of TCPO to the dyed mixture. TCPO stands for bis 2,4,6-trichlorophenyl oxalate, which you may need to know to purchase it.

It's quite expensive to buy, but you can make it fairly cheaply if , again, you're experienced and competent around chemicals.

Otherwise, making it is not advised. TCPO is incredibly carcinogenic, and should be handled with care. Never inhale TCPO. Add mg of sodium acetate to the mixture. If you don't have sodium acetate, an even mixture of sodium bicarbonate baking soda and sodium salicylic can effectively be used instead. When added, put the lid on and shake the bottle well. It's important to do this step last, as it creates the chemical reaction. Put the lid back on, shake it up well, and turn off the lights.

The hydrogen peroxide is an activator, not part of the reaction, so you won't need much. When you buy glow sticks, the "crack" noise to activate them is breaking a little glass vial of hydrogen peroxide.

If you so desire, mess around with the recipe to see what warrants the best results. This energy is picked up by the florescent dyes, which can convert energy into light.

More of each leads to more energy and a longer reaction. Method 2. Put on protective glasses. In addition, wear gloves to protect your skin. It's also a good idea to not wear your Sunday best. Throw on some old clothes or put a smock over clothes you want protected.