A glow stick is a plastic tube that contains two separate liquids. When the liquids are mixed, they glow. The diagrams show the process that causes a glow stick to emit light.
Based on the diagrams, what energy transformations occur when using a glow stick?
Based on the diagrams, the energy transformations that occur when using a glow stick are:
1. Chemical energy transformation: The glow stick contains two separate liquids, one of which is typically hydrogen peroxide and the other a phenyl oxalate derivative. When the glow stick is activated by bending and breaking an internal glass vial containing a fluorescent dye, the two liquids mix together and undergo a chemical reaction. This chemical reaction converts the chemical energy stored in the liquids into other forms of energy.
2. Luminescence transformation: The chemical reaction mentioned above generates energy in the form of excited molecules. These excited molecules then release this energy as light, a process known as luminescence or light emission. The released energy is transformed from chemical energy to light energy.
3. Thermal energy transformation: During the luminescence process, some amount of energy is converted into thermal energy, also known as heat. This is because not all the energy released by the excited molecules is emitted as visible light. Some of it is dissipated as heat, leading to a transformation from light energy to thermal energy.
Overall, the energy transformations that occur when using a glow stick involve a conversion of chemical energy stored in the liquids to light energy during luminescence, with a minor contribution to thermal energy.