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Chameleon Dyes

By Janice VanCleave

The pencil that changes color in the warm water has a yellow coat of paint which is covered with a paint continaing chameleon dye. This dye becomes transparent when warm, thus the yellow color of the pencil is visible.

Chameleon Dyes Note: I am revising the following information. I had the opportunity to speak with one of the directors of LCR Hallcrest, a company that makes chameleon dyes. The pencils in the picture are called chameleon pencils. While  chameleons change colors in response to different stimuli, such as temperature, emotions, and illness, the dye […]

Filed Under: Chemistry, thermochromic dyes Tagged With: chameleon chemicals, leuco dye, reflected, transparent, visible light, white light

Perception of Color

By Janice VanCleave

Iridescence Clouds

Vision depends on a small part of the Electromagnetic Spectrum Called Visible Light. The only type of light energy that you can visually perceive is called visual light. Visual light can be broken into seven parts, each part with a different amount of energy, and each amount of energy is perceived as a different color. […]

Filed Under: Light, Physics Tagged With: electromagnetic spectrum, visible light

Fluorescence

By Janice VanCleave

Question: What causes some objects to glow under a black light? Black lights give off  Ultraviolet A light, which is a type of high-energy invisible light (radiation). Photons are packets of light energy. UV light photons have a higher energy than do the photons for visible light. Materials that glow under a black light contain […]

Filed Under: Physics Tagged With: EMR, fluorescence, luminescence, photoluminescence, photons, UV, visible light

Flame Colors:Photons

By Janice VanCleave

When you see colors, it is because some form of visible light has entered your eye and was absorbed by special light sensitive cells inside your eyes.

Filed Under: Light, Physics Tagged With: colored flames, electromagnetic radiation, photons, visible light

Black Light

By Janice VanCleave

The phosphors in the scorpion's exoskeleton have a turquoise glow under a black light.

What is a Black Light? What are Phosphors? “Black Light” seems to be an erroneous name because when a black light is turned on in a dark room, everything is bathed in a beautiful purple color. But what you do not see is the  ultraviolet radiation that is being emitted. In black lights, the radiation […]

Filed Under: Physics Tagged With: black light, phosphors, ultraviolet radiation, UVA, UVB, visible light

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The spoon hanging from the string vibrates when struck and these vibrations are transmitted through the string and the sound is amplified by the plastic cups. ABOUT ME: Hi, I am Janice VanCleave, author of 50 best-selling science experiment books for children ages 4 through high school. I taught science for 27 years. MORE.....

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