Fluorescence Spectroscopy Blog Posts
7 Minute ReadIntroduction If you enjoy a gin & tonic in the evening after a hard day’s work, then you are consuming small amounts of the flavouring agent quinine. Look closely at the label on any can or bottle of tonic water and you will see that the drink contains quinine: Quinine fluoresces strongly under UV light […]
Quinine in Tonic Water Read More »
2 Minute ReadHappy Halloween! Since Halloween is fast approaching 👻 I thought I would publish this seasonal post on the strange and eery properties of the Horse Chestnut tree that anyone can try. To see what I mean, take a look at this short video… https://www.youtube.com/embed/bw3cqeBmha4?feature=share So what is going on here? This strange fluorescent emanation is
Spooky Horse Chestnut Fluorescence! Read More »
6 Minute ReadIntroduction In two earlier posts on this site we recorded the absorption spectrum of molecular iodine I2 with some simple instrumentation. The first section outlined the basic theory giving rise to the vibrational absorption bands in the spectrum of any diatomic molecule. The second section described how the home experimenter can produce an absorption spectrum
The Fluorescence Spectrum of Iodine Read More »
5 Minute ReadMeasuring the fluorescence from highlighter pens is always an interesting educational experiment to try and is very popular in schools and colleges to demonstrate the basic principles of fluorescence and spectra. Usually, green, blue or violet laser pointers are used to excite the sample.
Highlighter Pen Fluorescence Read More »
9 Minute ReadWhat is Fluorescence? Before we can consider what is fluorescence in scientificterms, we must mention the general process of luminescence. Luminescence is defined as any emission of light (electromagnetic or ionizing radiation) from any substance that is NOT caused by thermal heating of that substance. Yes, I know, that sounds a bit dry. Scientific definitions
