While phosphorescent paint can glow in the dark without a blacklight, it will not be as bright as if you were to use a blacklight. This is because blacklights emit ultraviolet light, the best type of light for activating phosphors. So if you want your object to glow brightly and for a long time in the dark, we recommend using a blacklight.
How to Make Things Glow In The Dark Without A Blacklight
One question we commonly ask is how to make things glow in the dark without using a blacklight. While blacklights are the best option for making things glow, they are not always within reach. This article will show you how to make things glow in the dark without a blacklight.
The best way to make something glow in the dark without a blacklight is to use phosphorescent paint (or powder) instead of fluorescent paint (AKA blacklight paint). The main difference between the two is that phosphorescent paint can glow without a blacklight, while fluorescent paint can only glow under a blacklight.
For more information about the differences between phosphorescent and fluorescent paint, check out our article here.
You can find phosphorescent paint at most art supply stores or online. We recommend using neon green, blue, or pink for the best results!
To use phosphorescent paint, apply it to the desired surface using a brush or sponge. Once the paint is dry, expose it to an external light source (like a lamp) for 30 minutes to 1 hour, then turn off the lights and watch your creation glow!
Does glow in the dark paint work without a blacklight?
Yes. All you need is to use phosphorescent paint! Phosphorescent paint is a type of paint that contains phosphors, which are materials that absorb and store energy from an external light source. Once the paint is exposed to light, it will glow in the dark without a blacklight!
Yes, as mentioned, it is possible to use phosphorescent paint, which does not require UV light (blacklight). However, phosphorescent paint is not suggested for body painting since it must be charged ahead of time and does not endure long enough for a full moon party/glow in the dark event (where body paint is typically used).
3 alternatives to charging glow in the dark without a blacklight
If you want to make things glow in the dark without using a blacklight, there are a few things you can do to charge your object:
- Place the item in direct sunlight for a few hours – This is the easiest and best way to charge your object without using a blacklight. The sun is a natural source of ultraviolet light, which will help to charge the phosphors in your paint so that they can glow brightly in the dark.
- Use a light bulb – If you don’t have access to sunlight, another option is to place your object close to a light bulb. For the best results, physically place the object close to the light source.
- A basic flashlight will suffice if you don’t have any of the above. However, remember that this isn’t an ideal charge method because the lightbulb in the flashlight will eventually die, leaving your object in the dark.
With these tips, you should be able to make anything glow without using a blacklight!
Curious Kids: How does glow in the dark paint work?
While some things glow all the time, glow-in-the-dark paint must be ‘told to glow’ – just like a phone needs to be charged or it won’t work.
This is an article from Curious Kids, a series for children. The Conversation is asking kids to send in questions they’d like an expert to answer. All questions are welcome – serious, weird or wacky!
How does glow in the dark paint work? – Roman, age 5, Katoomba.
To answer your question, we need to talk about light. This is not an easy thing to do. About 100 years ago, the world’s smartest scientists even argued about what light really is. And they argued for many years.
Light is actually a bunch of tiny things that scientists call “photons”. These little things can travel unbelievably quickly.
How quickly? Well, imagine this: photons can go around the entire world more than seven times in just one second.
When these photons reach our eyes, we see them as light. The more photons there are, the brighter the light.
Photons can come in all the colours of the rainbow. They also hold energy which can turn into heat. This is why it feels warm when the sun shines.
But, not all light is the same. Blue and violet photons both have more energy than red ones, for example.
Invisible light
Now here is a weird thing: there are some types of light that are invisible!
For example, ultraviolet (UV) light, which has even more energy than blue and violet light, is invisible.
Sunlight contains some of this powerful UV light. Because it has so much energy, it can cause a lot of damage, like sunburn, if you get too much of it on your skin.
Another invisible type of light is infrared light. Infrared means “less than red”, so this light has even less energy than red light.
Making paint glow
Many light sources, like the Sun or an old light bulb in your bathroom, glow because they are really hot. Normal glowing, like that of the Sun and a light bulb, requires objects to be really hot for us to see it.
As you already know, you can see glow-in-the-dark paint, but if you touch it, it is just as cold as the bedroom wall. So, the glowing of the paint must be different to the glowing of a light bulb.
The paint has a special kind of glowing called “luminescence” and it can only be created from a few types of material. One such material is what scientists call “luminescent phosphors”, and this is what makes your paint glow. Scientists make luminescent phosphors in the lab by mixing special chemicals together, and then add them to the paint. The paint is then sold to factories and manufacturers who put it on toys, stickers, and even inside colouring pens.
While some things glow all the time, like the sun, glow-in-the-dark paint must be “told to glow”. Just like your parents need to charge their phones every night to make them work, these materials need to be “charged” before they start glowing.
In fact, the charging of your glow-in-the-dark paint is done by other types of light. The invisible UV light with lots of energy can charge the special phosphors in your paint and make it glow in your bedroom at night.
There are different types of glow-in-the-dark paint. One type can be charged during the day and can glow for hours in the dark at night. The charging that happens during the day, for example by sunlight, is stored in the paint for some time, just like in the battery of a phone.
This type of paint is called phosphorescent. The other type, called fluorescent paint, only glows while an invisible UV light is turned on to charge it.
You might have heard that some animals can glow. Here’s a video all about that:
Please tell us your name, age and which city you live in. You can send an audio recording of your question too, if you want. Send as many questions as you like! We won’t be able to answer every question but we will do our best.
Thorsten Trupke, Professor of Photovoltaic and Renewable Energy Engineering, UNSW
This article was originally published on The Conversation. Read the original article.
