Glow Sticks: Not the Only Thing That Glows

Glow sticks are a great invention. My kids never leave the house on Halloween without one. Glow sticks have so many uses. They come in tons of colors and several different sizes.

They are great for camping or power outages and because they are so cheap they are easy to replace. Ever wondered how glow stick works, glow sticks get there glow by using chemical compounds to form chemical reactions. The chemicals found in a glow stick are usually hydrogen peroxide, phenyl oxalate ester and a florescent dye. The two compounds are housed in different parts of the glow stick and it isn’t until you break it that the compounds combine to form a reaction and activate the florescent dye.

Since the glow stick is activated by a chemical process then changes in temperature should change or alter the effects. If your looking to preserve your glow stick and make it last just a little bit longer try putting it in the freezer. It won’t stop the chemical reaction but it will slow it down considerably.

Likewise heating a glow stick up will speed up the reaction. If you want your glow to burn brighter try rubbing it back and forth in your hands. This will speed up the reaction causing more of the florescent dye to react, but it shortens how long the glow stick will last. By speeding up the chemical reaction you are using the chemicals faster, once the chemicals are gone the glow stick will no longer glow.

If your wondering what else they can make glow besides sticks , the answer is just about anything. For nighttime golfers there are glowing golf balls, one pro glowing golf ball will cost you about $2. They also sell refills for them so you don’t have to buy new ones every time you golf balls burn out.

Throwing a party , then why not make it a glowing success. You can find glow glasses for any occasion. They are perfectly safe and come in a ton of florescent colors. Glow glasses also come in several different sizes you can find pint, half pint, margarita glasses and shot glasses.

Don’t forget the glow straws to go with those wild and crazy glow glasses. Glow sticks aren’t just sticks anymore. They have taken the glow process to a whole new level. Everything from yo-yo’s to body lights have started to glow. Glow sticks are a fun and inexpensive way to light up your life.