What kind of mint sparks

Can you find which combination of ingredients is responsible for the phenomenon? You will need some detective skills to find out! Where can you find the ingredients of each type of candy? In what way s are the ingredients of the mint that shows the phenomenon different?

Now, we will investigate what exactly creates the flash. Take another Lifesavers Mint, the type that exhibited the phenomenon, and start exploring.

We know the flash happens when we crush the candy with pliers. Does it also happen when you rub two broken pieces together or when you press just enough on the pliers to put the candy under pressure without breaking it? Extra: If you are wondering if it happens when you chew the candy, try it out. Chew this type of Lifesaver in a dark room in front of a mirror. Open your mouth wide between chews. Can you see a flash? Extra: Investigate other candies containing hard crystalline sugar and the special ingredient.

Can you create a flash with those as well? Extra: Try to create miniature lightning. Vigorously rub a piece of paper with wool for about a minute. Put a piece of metal such as aluminum foil in the center of the paper. Remove the paper and bring your finger close to the metal.

Can you create a tiny spark? Build a Cooler. Holes That Do Not Leak! Lift a Large Load Using Liquids. Get smart. Sign up for our email newsletter. Sign Up. Support science journalism.

Knowledge awaits. Methyl salicylate, also known as oil of wintergreen, is present in the Life Savers candy. It is a fluorescent; therefore, it absorbs light of a shorter wavelength and emits it once again as light of a longer wavelength. During triboluminescence, excited nitrogen produces ultraviolet light which has a short wavelength, so when you crush the sugar-based candy, the methyl salicylate absorbs the ultraviolet light and creates a better and more visible spectrum, particularly a blue light.

The production of lighting in the sky is similar to concept of triboluminescence, however, on a much higher level. Electricity in a Nutshell. How to Make a Dancing Minibot. Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment. Chewing the candy while watching yourself in a mirror will work, but the moisture from saliva will lessen or eliminate the effect. Rubbing two sugar cubes or pieces of quartz or rose quartz in the dark will also work.

Scratching quartz with a steel pin may also demonstrate the effect. For the most part, triboluminescence is an interesting effect with few practical applications. However, understanding its mechanisms may help explain other types of luminescence, including bioluminescence in bacteria and earthquake lights.

Triboluminescent coatings could be used in remote sensing applications to signal mechanical failure. One reference states that research is underway to apply triboluminescent flashes to sense automobile crashes and inflate airbags.

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She has taught science courses at the high school, college, and graduate levels. Facebook Facebook Twitter Twitter. Updated January 14,