One of the Nastiest Substances on Earth Creates a Beautiful Glow
Being a Mad Scientist can be a thankless job,but every once in a while you get a chance to shine literally.The most beautiful of all chemical phenomena, the cold luminosity of white phosphorus.
While phosphorus,an uncommon form of the element, is terrible stuff. It's incredibly toxic,catches fire spontaneously in air, and is frequently used in the production of methamphetamine. There are few companies lining up to sell it.
So to make it save and able to demonstrate it should mixed up with a solution of white phosphorus in toluene(paint thinner) and spread it over any surface, if you are doing it on your hand then you should wear latex gloves on. The effect you see will be fleeting,flickering,flowing sheets of cold light all over the surface that can be rippled as you blew on them.
As the toluene evaporated,the white phosphorus did what its name implies-its phosphorescence,reacting with oxygen from the air to produce a luminous gas fractions of an inch above the surface. This reaction is not just risky to create, It's also difficult to photograph. You should used the best low light camera available to get it to show up so well.
To the dark adapted human eye,though,it looks bright,and frankly rather alarming,especially if You are doing it on Your Hand then and took your gloves off, you will definitely realized that toluene goes through latex. You should use a ting,harmless amount otherwise white Phosphorus can effect your skin.
But You should able to see Your own bare hand flickering green with Poison Light.
Being a Mad Scientist can be a thankless job,but every once in a while you get a chance to shine literally.The most beautiful of all chemical phenomena, the cold luminosity of white phosphorus.
While phosphorus,an uncommon form of the element, is terrible stuff. It's incredibly toxic,catches fire spontaneously in air, and is frequently used in the production of methamphetamine. There are few companies lining up to sell it.
So to make it save and able to demonstrate it should mixed up with a solution of white phosphorus in toluene(paint thinner) and spread it over any surface, if you are doing it on your hand then you should wear latex gloves on. The effect you see will be fleeting,flickering,flowing sheets of cold light all over the surface that can be rippled as you blew on them.
As the toluene evaporated,the white phosphorus did what its name implies-its phosphorescence,reacting with oxygen from the air to produce a luminous gas fractions of an inch above the surface. This reaction is not just risky to create, It's also difficult to photograph. You should used the best low light camera available to get it to show up so well.
To the dark adapted human eye,though,it looks bright,and frankly rather alarming,especially if You are doing it on Your Hand then and took your gloves off, you will definitely realized that toluene goes through latex. You should use a ting,harmless amount otherwise white Phosphorus can effect your skin.
But You should able to see Your own bare hand flickering green with Poison Light.
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