::FUN CHEMISTRY FACT OF THE DAY, PART 4::

My favorite kinds of chemistry involve things that glow; luminescence is one of my favorite things. There are lots of different kinds of luminescence. There's photoluminescence (caused by a beam of photons), cathodoluminescence (excited by electron beams), thermoluminescesence (stimulated from the application or outflow of heat, as seen in color-changing coffee mugs), chemiluminescence (chemical energy driven by chemical reactions), and bioluminescence (a subset of chemiluminescence, involving enzymes in living things).

But my favorite luminescence of all, though, is triboluminescence, which is when things glow due to the application of physical force. (I have to admit, though, I like it because of its obscurity and its rockin' name!) According to Eric Weisstein's World of Physics, triboluminescence "results from the breaking of certain bonds. This breakage creates free bonds, which immediately absorb and ionize nitrogen from the atmosphere, producing a characteristic green or blue-green flash. Maple syrup sucrose produces an especially strong effect."

Try it with maple syrup sucrose! Somebody! Anybody!

And let me know how it works.