| One of the many things in life that seems to fade | | | | is known as a phosphor. |
| away when a person enter adulthood alongside cotton | | | | Many things are a phosphor. Natural phosphors include |
| candy and candy necklaces would have to be black | | | | teeth and fingernails and some manmade materials |
| lights. This kind of lighting is usually only significant for a | | | | with phosphors include some fabrics (think of the |
| few school dances in junior high, but how they work is | | | | glowing white t-shirt), highlighters and television screens. |
| pretty interesting for anyone who thinks learning is a | | | | Black lights are available in two bulb types - one like |
| lifetime pursuit. | | | | the traditional incandescent bulb and another like a CFL. |
| Most of us have been introduced to the light spectrum | | | | The tubular shaped bulb is like a CFL light becauseit is |
| at some point, but we will refresh in case 7th grade | | | | filled with an inert gas and a bit of mercury, but the |
| science was some time ago. | | | | phosphor coating is different from a traditional CFL in |
| The spectrum goes as follow: | | | | that the one used in a black light soaks up dangerous |
| Radio - Microwave - Infrared - Visible - Ultraviolet - | | | | waves and only emits ultraviolet light to shine (and a |
| X-Ray - Gamma Ray | | | | little bit of violet sometimes). |
| These waves go from long wave length to short and | | | | The black light that is basically just an incandescent |
| as humans we can only see the waves in the middle | | | | includes a light filter which absorbs everything the |
| of the spectrum, appropriately labeled "visible". Within | | | | filament emits except the ultraviolet light. |
| the "visible" section we can see light in the different | | | | So there you have it: two pretty typical bulbs, CFLs |
| colors: red, orange, yellow, green, blue, violet. After | | | | and incandescents, jimmy-rigged a bit to release only |
| violet we hit ultraviolet light which our eyes cannot see. | | | | ultraviolet light and we have black light ready to make |
| Why the lengthy, and probably a bit dull explanation | | | | phosphors out there glow! |
| you are asking? Simply so that we can all completely | | | | Of course, black lights aren't only used at dance clubs; |
| understand the next statement- | | | | there are many practical uses as well. Mechanics use |
| Black lights produce ultraviolet light, which we cannot | | | | them to find tiny leaks by injecting fluorescent dye into |
| see. However, we can see a glowing purple | | | | the liquid that might be leaking, police use them to |
| sometimes, which makes perfect sense because it is | | | | check if money is counterfeit since US money has an |
| just a step below on the light spectrum. | | | | invisible fluorescent strip in each bill and forensic |
| But the waves that we cannot see coming out of the | | | | scientists use the lights at crime scenes to find |
| black light really isn't what makes them special; it is the | | | | fingerprints and other evidence. |
| way they make everything in the vicinity seem to glow. | | | | Whether used to solve a crime or just to make the |
| What we see glowing is actually any substance that | | | | dance floor glow - black lights can be a fun thing to |
| emits light when it is hit with some sort of radiation, this | | | | have around. |