Glow+stick

**__Glow Sticks:__**
Obviously it's a light producing reaction, however, the light-producing reaction is not caused by heat and may not produce heat, the rate at which it occurs is affected by temperature. If you place a lightstick in a cold environment (like a freezer), then the chemical reaction will slow down. Less light will be released while the lightstick is cold, but the stick will last much longer. On the other hand, if you immerse a lightstick in hot water, the chemical reaction will speed up. The stick will glow much more brightly, but will wear out faster too.

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__**Chemical Reactions of Glows sticks:**__ The reaction between the different compounds in a light stick causes a substantial release of energy. Just as in an [|incandescent light bulb], atoms in the materials are excited, causing electrons to rise to a higher energy level and then return to their normal levels. When the electrons return to their normal levels, they release energy as light. This process is called **chemiluminesence**. The chemical reaction in a light stick usually involves several different steps. A typical commercial light stick holds a [|hydrogen peroxide] solution and a solution containing a [|phenyl oxalate ester] and a **fluorescent dye**. Here's the sequence of events when the two solutions are combined:
 * 1) The hydrogen peroxide [|oxidizes] the phenyl oxalate ester, resulting in a chemical called [|phenol] and an unstable [|peroxyacid] ester.
 * 2) The unstable peroxyacid ester decomposes, resulting in additional phenol and a cyclic peroxy compound.
 * 3) The cyclic peroxy compound decomposes to carbon dioxide.
 * 4) This decomposition releases energy to the dye.
 * 5) The electrons in the dye atoms jump to a higher level, then fall back down, releasing energy in the form of light.

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