LESSON Five:
Types of Light
Emission
Task:
 Look at the PowerPoint presentation: Types of
Light Emissions
 Read and Perform Chemiluminescence
Activity
 Write Paragraph about Bioluminescing Animal
OR
 Make a poster about Bioluminescing Animal

Types of Light Emissions
Submit:
Answers to question
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CHEMILUMINESCENCE ACITIVTY
CH. 10 – TYPES OF LIGHT EMMISSIONS
Chemical reactions all involve a reactant or reactants changing chemically to
form a product or products.
Reactant(s)  Product(s)
In the case of chemiluminescence one of the products formed is light. For
example in a glowstick, phenyl oxalate in a dye solution is mixed with hydrogen
peroxide to form phenol and a peroxyacid ester.
Phenyl Oxalate (dye) + Hydrogen Peroxide  Phenol + Peroxyacid Ester
The peroxyacid is unstable and immediately decomposes to form carbon dioxide
and energy is given off.
Peroxyacid Ester  Carbon Dioxide+ Energy
The energy given off is absorbed by the dye, putting the dye into an excited
state.
Energy + Dye  Dye*
*
- indicates excited state
The dye relaxes back into its ground state or original state and light is given off.
Dye*  Dye + Light
It is the dye that reacts to form the light. Dyes that absorb energy and give off
light are called fluorophores. An example of one fluorophore is 9,10diphenylanthracene (pronounced di-fennel-an-thra-seen). It is a dye that is
responsible for giving off blue light and has the chemical structure:
Types of Light Emissions
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In this activity you will investigate what happens when you react to chemicals
together to form light.
Safety Issues:
Handling chemicals should always be taken seriously. THE CHEMICALS THAT
YOU WILL BE HANDLING TODAY ARE TOXIC IF INGESTED AND CAN CAUSE
SERIOUS IRRITATION OR BURNING OF THE SKIN. You MUST where rubber
gloves, an apron and goggles when performing this exercise. If you get any of
these chemicals on your skin or in your eye, you must flush the area immediately
with water.
Procedure:
1.
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3.
4.
5.
6.
Take the glowstick and with a pair of scissors, cut open the top.
With a pair of tweezers, carefully remove the glass vial inside the
glowstick and put it aside in the beaker provided.
Pour the liquid that is left in the glowstick into a graduated cylinder.
Ask the teacher to break the glass vial for you. (the teacher will then
poor the liquid in the glass vial into a small beaker)
Poor the liquid from the glass vial into the graduated cylinder.
Write down anything that you see.
Observations:
Types of Light Emissions
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Bioluminescence Assignment
1. Choose an animal that bioluminesces and research it online.
2. Write a paragraph (double spaced) below about the animal you chose and
the possible reasons why you think this particular animal would evolve to
use bioluminescence
OR
3. Make a poster about the animal describing the animal and showing why it
bioluminesces.
Paragraph:
Types of Light Emissions
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Research Paragraph or Poster
Name:
Categories
Knowledge/Understanding
Understanding of Content
(concepts, ideas, theories)
Thinking and Investigating
Use of critical/creative thinking
processes, skills and strategies
(analyzing, interpreting, forming
and justifying conclusions)
Communication
Expression and organization of
ideas in written form
Uses of conventions, vocabulary,
and terminology
(e.g. symbols, formulae, scientific
notation)
Application
Application of Knowledge and
skills
(concepts and processes,
investigation skills)
Making connections between
science, technology, society and
the environment
(assessing the impact of science
on people and the environment)
Total
Types of Light Emissions
50-59%
(Level One)
60-69%
(Level Two)
70-79%
(Level Three)
80-100%
(Level Four)
Demonstrates limited
understanding of content
Demonstrates some
understanding of content
Demonstrates considerable
understanding of content
Demonstrates a high degree
of understanding of content
Uses critical/creative
thinking processes, skills
and strategies with limited
effectiveness
Uses critical/creative
thinking processes, skills
and strategies with some
effectiveness
Uses critical/creative thinking
processes, skills and
strategies with considerable
effectiveness
Uses critical/creative thinking
processes, skills and
strategies with a high degree
of effectiveness
Expresses and organizes
ideas and information with
limited effectiveness
Uses conventions,
vocabulary, and
terminology with limited
effectiveness
Expresses and organizes
ideas and information
with some effectiveness
Uses conventions,
vocabulary, and
terminology with some
effectiveness
Expresses and organizes
ideas and information with
considerable effectiveness
Uses conventions,
vocabulary, and terminology
with considerable
effectiveness
Expresses and organizes
ideas and information with a
high degree of effectiveness
Uses conventions,
vocabulary, and terminology
with a high degree of
effectiveness
Applies knowledge and
skills in familiar contexts
with limited effectiveness
Applies knowledge and
skills in familiar contexts
with some effectiveness
Applies knowledge and skills
in familiar contexts with
considerable effectiveness
Applies knowledge and skills
in familiar contexts with a
high degree of effectiveness
Makes connections
between science,
technology, society and the
environment with limited
effectiveness
K/U
Makes connections
between science,
technology, society and
the environment with
some effectiveness
T/I
Makes connections between
science, technology, society
and the environment with
considerable effectiveness
Makes connections between
science, technology, society
and the environment with a
high degree of effectiveness
Comm
App
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