Make Your Own Glow Sticks

[funlvnman]

Since Halloween is coming up, this might be fun to play with.

http://www.wimp.com/neatidea/

[Kilted Rogue]

THanks for the link.
Very interesting. The should have used a smaller bottle. lessen the need for repeat shaking

[Wild Macrae]

As a scientist and safety professional, this kind of video always makes me cringe.

[funlvnman]

As a scientist and safety professional, this kind of video always makes me cringe.

For the specific ingredients and amounts shown in the video, how much danger is there? To the uninitiated it doesn't seem like there's much danger of explosion. Toxic fumes perhaps?

[Wild Macrae]

For the specific ingredients and amounts shown in the video, how much danger is there? To the uninitiated it doesn't seem like there's much danger of explosion. Toxic fumes perhaps?

I'm not intimately familiar with the chemical reaction in this "experiment," so I can't tell you a specific danger. The reason I cringe when I see these video is because it'll give somebody the idea to double, triple, even magnify the recipe by 100 or substitute an ingredient that they think is equivalent but causes a completely different reaction without fully thinking about the consequences. The professional side of me cannot condone chemical experiments outside of the laboratory, but the other side of me says life is boring when not lived on the edge! (That other side also supports Darwinism.)

[funlvnman]

The reason I cringe when I see these video is because it'll give somebody the idea to double, triple, even magnify the recipe by 100 or substitute an ingredient that they think is equivalent but causes a completely different reaction without fully thinking about the consequences.

I made that same assumption as well. It seems most of us on this site grew up with a "What the hell" attitude, and amazingly survived our childhood with a firm sense of adventure. I am keenly aware of your fears tho. My cousin blew off his hand with firecrackers. Those little "harmless" noise makers can be quite energetic when used incorrectly.

Having said all that, any tips for making this little project safer and more fun? GDub has a great suggestion to use a plastic bottle. If giving out advice on the matter would make you legally liable, best keep any suggestions to yourself.

[Splash_4]

But it was way cool!

[GDub]

Cool! Probably best, however, not to use a glass receptacle (just in case).

[joecool]

I am not totally convinced that this really works... The video skips between the addition of the bleach and the amazing glow. He tilted the bottle forward so you couldn't clearly see the liquid, and the next time the liquid was visible it had turned yellow. Still, awesome video, and too tempting to resist trying this out (but not in a glass jar and not without safety goggles.)

[funlvnman]

I am not totally convinced that this really works... The video skips between the addition of the bleach and the amazing glow. He tilted the bottle forward so you couldn't clearly see the liquid, and the next time the liquid was visible it had turned yellow. Still, awesome video, and too tempting to resist trying this out (but not in a glass jar and not without safety goggles.)

Poke around on the site. There is another video for making glow in the dark carnations. I haven't tried any of it yet. But it sure looks fun!