Thursday, January 24, 2013

Day-glo

Ever wonder what makes those striking day-glo colors shine brighter than everything around them? Our eyes can only see visible light (the colors of the rainbow) but the sun emits electromagnetic waves across a vastly wider spectrum (which we cannot see with our eyes, of course, and not just because it's not a good idea to stare at the sun). But just because we cannot see them, doesn't mean they aren't there. When photons from the ultraviolet region of the spectrum bump into an object, some of the energy can be reflected. Because we can't see them, they go unnoticed. However, certain chemical combinations transform higher-energy ultraviolet photons into lower-energy visible light photons (a process called fluorescence). When those fluorescent objects start emitting more visible light than the non-fluorescent objects around them, they give the perception of being brighter: day-glo. Interesting fact: whiter-than-white washing detergent is known to employ fluorescence to make clothes appear brighter.