#Life savers spark in the dark free#

This is why all hard, sugary candies will produce a faint glow when cracked. In this excited state, and in order to get rid of the excess energy, these nitrogen molecules emit light - mostly ultraviolet (nonvisible) light, but they do emit a small amount of visible light as well. When they collide, the electrons impart energy to the nitrogen molecules, causing them to vibrate. Why do Lifesavers spark in the dark This is due to triboluminescence, which is the emission of light resulting from something being smashed or torn.

#Life savers spark in the dark free#

These free electrons bump into nitrogen molecules in the air. Triboluminescence occurs when molecules, in this case crystalline sugars, are crushed, forcing some electrons out of their atomic fields. When you rip a piece of tape off the roll, it will produce a slight glow for the same reason. Triboluminescence is the emission of light resulting from something being smashed or torn. The lifesavers should make bright sparks in everyones mouths. The occurrence is called triboluminescence. Most of the time, you won’t be able to notice it because the light is too faint to see. This type of candy Creates small sparks when bitten.

This effect is called triboluminescence, which is similar to the electrical charge buildup that produces lightning, only much less grand. Humans are not physically adapted for life in the total dark. Life Savers Wint-o-Green is a hard sugar-based candy. So, when a Wint-O-Green Life Saver is crushed between your teeth, the methyl salicylate molecules absorb the ultraviolet, shorter wavelength light produced by the excited nitrogen, and re-emit it as light of the visible spectrum, specifically as blue light thus the blue sparks that jump out of your mouth when you crunch on a Wint-O-Green. But why? Darryl Brooks/ShutterstockĪctually, all hard sugar-based candies emit some degree of light when you bite them, but most of the time, that light is very faint. Wintergreen candies are known to spark in the dark.