logo
episode-header-image
Yesterday
33m 57s

How do glowsticks glow?

Melissa and Jam, Bleav
About this episode

#067 Rebroadcast (Originally Aired October 2020)

Guess what time of year it is. It's spooky time! One thing we see a lot of during this time of year, is things that glow. And you better believe that's chemistry. So how do glowsticks glow? How does bending the glowsticks start that process? What's mixing with what, and seriously how the heck does it glow? Let's find out.

★ Support this podcast on Patreon ★
★ Buy Podcast Merch and Apparel ★

Check out our website at chemforyourlife.com
Watch our episodes on YouTube
Find us on Instagram, Twitter, and Facebook @ChemForYourLife

References from this episode

  1. Organic Chemistry, Solomons 11e
  2. Quantitative Chemical Analysis, Daniel C. Harris
  3. Simple Glowmatography: Chromatographic Separation of GlowStick Dyes Using Chalk - Thomas S. Kuntzleman,* Kasey R. Bunker, and Ashlee A. Bartlett
  4. https://www.sciencedirect.com/topics/neuroscience/fluorescence
  5. https://ocw.mit.edu/high-school/chemistry/demonstrations/videos/anatomy-of-a-glowstick/glowstick.pdf
  6. Glowmatography - Thomas S. Kuntzleman,* Anna E. Comfort, and Bruce W. Baldwin
 

Thanks to our monthly supporters

  • Kyle McCray
  • Justine
  • Emily Hardy
  • Ash
  • Vince W
  • Julie S.
  • Heather Ragusa
  • Autoclave
  • Chelsea Morelos
  • Dorien VD
  • Scott Beyer
  • Jessie Reder
  • Ciara Linville
  • J0HNTR0Y
  • Jeannette Napoleon
  • Cullyn R
  • Erica Bee
  • Elizabeth P
  • Rachel Reina
  • Letila
  • Katrina Barnum-Huckins
  • Suzanne Phillips
  • Venus Rebholz
  • Lyn Stubblefield
  • Jacob Taber
  • Brian Kimball
  • Kristina Gotfredsen
  • Timothy Parker
  • Steven Boyles
  • Chris Skupien
  • Chelsea B
  • Avishai Barnoy
  • Hunter Reardon
 

★ Support this podcast on Patreon ★
★ Buy Podcast Merch and Apparel ★

Check out our website at chemforyourlife.com

Watch our episodes on YouTube

Find us on Instagram, Twitter, and Facebook @ChemForYourLife

 

Up next
Aug 21
What makes fireflies glow?
Melissa and Jam delve into the fascinating chemistry behind fireflies' bioluminescence. They explore how fireflies produce light through a complex series of chemical reactions involving specific molecules like luciferin and enzymes like luciferase. The discussion extends to how t ... Show More
56m 31s
Aug 14
Ask a Chemist: What would be worse, drinking bleach or gasoline? (and other questions)
Melissa and Jam dive into a variety of listener-submitted questions. They discuss the science behind fluffy shave ice versus mainland shaved ice, the effectiveness and safety of ozone treatments for smoke smells, and the potential impact of glyphosate on human health. They also e ... Show More
48m 53s
Aug 7
Why is sweat salty?
Melissa and Jam explore the science behind why sweat is salty. They discuss personal experiences with sweating, the types of sweat glands, and the chemical processes involved in sweat production. The episode explains how osmosis, ion channels, and salt concentrations contribute t ... Show More
37m 11s
Recommended Episodes
Nov 2024
PRETTY CURIOUS | What’s The Chemistry Of Cleanser? with The Beauty Brains Podcast
This week, we have an unbeatable cosmetic chemistry duo - Perry Romanowski & Valerie George from The Beauty Brains Podcast! We’re coming to you today with the 411 on a fundamental element of any skin care routine: cleanser. But what’s the deal with cleanser anyhow? How many kinds ... Show More
38m 11s
Jul 2024
Episode 368 - Drunk Elephant vitamin C and more skin care questions
On today’s show we cover lots of skin questions including…Does spraying magnesium on your legs help you sleep and relieve nausea?Are Olivada's waterless skincare products, which use pressed olive oil, truly effective and comparable to Botox?Is the new DIY vitamin C serum fro ... Show More
50m 38s
Dec 2024
A Farewell to 2024, and What We’re Following in the New Year
2024 brought heat waves and hurricanes, bird flu and breakthroughs, and an overwhelming amount of progress in AI. Science Quickly host Rachel Feltman is joined by sustainability editor Andrea Thompson, health and medicine editor Tanya Lewis and technology editor Ben Guarino to re ... Show More
21m 2s
Aug 22
Could Peanut Allergies Be Cured?
Peanut allergies have surged dramatically in recent decades, and scientists are still working to understand why. In this episode, journalist Maryn Mckenna, who recently authored an article on the subject, and host Rachel Feltman explore the latest research on causes, treatments a ... Show More
20m 29s
Aug 25
Science’s Greatest 180s
Science doesn’t always get it right the first time—and that’s part of the journey. In this anniversary episode, we explore how ideas about nerve damage, sustainable materials and alien life have done a full 180. Recommended Reading Celebrating 180 Years of Scientific American 180 ... Show More
8m 4s
May 21
Do Mitochondria Talk to Each Other? A New Look at the Cell’s Powerhouse
Mitochondria are known as the powerhouse of the cell—but new research suggests they might be far more complex. Columbia University’s Martin Picard joins Scientific American’s Rachel Feltman to explore how these tiny organelles could be communicating and what that might mean for e ... Show More
27m 4s
Apr 2025
Explosive Science with Kate the Chemist
What are chemical reactions like in space? Neil deGrasse Tyson and Chuck Nice team up with Kate the Chemist to explore how cesium helps us tell time, the elusive quest for the periodic table’s “island of stability,” how AI is revolutionizing chemistry, and more!NOTE: StarTalk+ Pa ... Show More
54m 29s
Jun 11
What ‘Immortal’ Jellyfish and Famously Old Tortoises Tell Us about Aging
Animals’ lifespans can be far shorter or much longer than those of humans. Scientists are researching creatures such as “immortal” jellyfish and long-lived tortoises and digging deep into genetic codes to figure out why animals age—and what we can do to improve longevity in human ... Show More
14m 27s
Jun 11
What ‘Immortal’ Jellyfish and Famously Old Tortoises Tell Us about Aging
Animals’ lifespans can be far shorter or much longer than those of humans. Scientists are researching creatures such as “immortal” jellyfish and long-lived tortoises and digging deep into genetic codes to figure out why animals age—and what we can do to improve longevity in human ... Show More
14m 27s
Jul 2024
Hair on Fire, Part 1
In this two-parter from Stuff to Blow Your Mind, Robert and Joe discuss the chemistry, space science and mythology of burning hair. So strap in for a discussion of everything from pirates and barbecue mishaps to Latin literature and science fiction. See omnystudio.com/listener fo ... Show More
40m 15s