my_mr_happy
10-02-2002, 07:12 AM
hay! don't know if any of you ever have done this but Life Savers candy make blue sparks when you bite them. we used to get drunk and do this in the dark.. I don't know why.. iot was just funny to us .. here is what I found!
Q. Why do Life Savers candy make blue sparks when you bite them?
Fist off, candy is bad for your teeth and biting them vigorously, although entertaining, is even worse - but it does make a blue spark. Wintergreen Life Savers work best although several brands of candy will do the same thing.
This phenomenon is called triboluminescence, occurs when something is crushed, the something in this case being the crystalline sugar in the Life Savers. When the sugar is smashed, electrons break free and become positively charged. Since electrons naturally want to attract, these lonesome particles dash about madly trying to find a new home. In this case, they attract to nitrogen molecules in the air and emit UV (Ultraviolet) radiation (they glow). Furthermore, the UV radiation is absorbed by the stuff that makes the Life Savers taste like wintergreen - methyl silicylate - and this emits a blue light. The moral of this story? Who needs bulky emergency flashlights scattered all over the house when a stash of yummy-tasting candy could suffice...
Q. Why do Life Savers candy make blue sparks when you bite them?
Fist off, candy is bad for your teeth and biting them vigorously, although entertaining, is even worse - but it does make a blue spark. Wintergreen Life Savers work best although several brands of candy will do the same thing.
This phenomenon is called triboluminescence, occurs when something is crushed, the something in this case being the crystalline sugar in the Life Savers. When the sugar is smashed, electrons break free and become positively charged. Since electrons naturally want to attract, these lonesome particles dash about madly trying to find a new home. In this case, they attract to nitrogen molecules in the air and emit UV (Ultraviolet) radiation (they glow). Furthermore, the UV radiation is absorbed by the stuff that makes the Life Savers taste like wintergreen - methyl silicylate - and this emits a blue light. The moral of this story? Who needs bulky emergency flashlights scattered all over the house when a stash of yummy-tasting candy could suffice...