Glow Stick Easy Prep Halloween Classroom Experiment

Glow sticks are a popular toy for outdoor activities.  Many kids wear them when trick-or-treating.  Do your students understand the science of the glow.  Halloween is the perfect time to explore the science of chemiluminescence.  Plus, it is easy prep and inexpensive.

Does the temperature affect the brightness of a glow stick?

What a wonderful investigative question!  We love performing this experiment for practicing the scientific method.  The independent variable is clearly defined.  (Changing the Water Temperature.)  You can adjust the experiment easily for different grade levels.

The dependent variable is easy for the kids to calculate.  They rank the brightness.  The difference between the different temperature glow sticks is very obvious.

Of course, we like teaching it at Halloween because Halloween is all about glowing and nighttime.  It also is a great lesson about light, energy transfer, and how temperature affects the speed of a chemical reaction.  

Because the chemicals are contained in the stick, the only mess is some water and ice.  It also shows that a molecule's speed increases with heat.  A memorable scientific experience for students.  Also great for the classroom Halloween party.

Here is the basic science of a glow stick. To make it work, you bend the stick until it snaps.  This will break a small glass vial inside. When the vial is broken, the chemical in the vial will mix with the chemical in the plastic tube. This reaction produces light, which is then emitted through the plastic tube of the glow stick. If the glow stick is cold the chemicals will mix slower and the light will be dimmer.  If the glow stick is hot, the molecules will mix faster and the reaction will speed up.  The light will be much brighter.  The light can last for several hours, depending on the quality of the glow stick and the temperature of the liquids. You can even put a glow stick in the freezer and take it out several days later and it will start glowing again.  It's a fascinating process that students will find entertaining.

It is easy to create differentiated grade-level versions.  Older students will record detailed observations, create graphs, and write summaries.  Students as young as kindergarten can conduct as a whole class and worksheets can contain clear pictures and checkboxes.

Students can dive into the phenomenon with reading passages and further research.

Glow sticks are easy to find.  Our dollar store always has them.  You should be able to conduct a full classroom investigation for under $5.00 for supplies.  Parents may be willing to donate too.

Have fun exploring chemiluminescence for Halloween or any time of year.

SHOW THIS POST

LEARN MORE