6 incredible science experiments that you can do with glow sticks

Glow sticks are super cool. They are great for a party and to play with, but they are so much more. They are science in your hand. Whether you have to break it or shake it, when a glow stick goes from dull to luminescent there is a chemical reaction taking place.
These 6 science experiments show how glow sticks can teach anyone a lot about science.
1. Glow sticks
Advertisement
During the holidays, glow sticks are a great addition almost every costume and holiday event. With a simple snap and shake, the opaque liquid inside of the plastic stick begins to glow. Not only does the liquid begin to glow, but heat is also created. Glow sticks are fun cool playthings, and they are great teaching tools to show how a chemical reaction is affected by temperature.
2. Liquid lights
Liquid lights are a cool display of chemistry happening right before your eyes. In this experiment, you can learn what happens inside of the glow stick. By following the directions in the video below, you will see how you can make liquid lights in a cup. Remember to follow the safety tips as well.
3. Glow stick temperature experiment
Temperature has a direct effect on the chemical reaction that takes place with a glow stick. Completing this experiment will show you what happens when you put a glow stick in varying temperatures. Write down what you think will happen first and which stick will glow the brightest in which temperature and see if you were correct.
4. Dry ice and glow stick
What happens when you mix dry ice and a glow stick? Watch the video below and you are going to see that it creates a super cool, but dangerous effect. The mix of solid carbon dioxide (dry ice) and phenyl oxalate ester (glow stick liquid) makes for a very interesting science experiment.
5. Milk and glow sticks
These young experimenters had an interesting question about the inside of a glow stick and milk. Milk seems like a very harmless liquid, but even though it is not acidic there can still be a chemical reaction. Follow the instructions in this video and see what happens when you snap a glow stick and add it to milk.
6. Magnetic fluid and a glow stick
This science project shows how two liquids don’t mix together but create amazing science. Ferrofluid is a magnetic liquid that has a magnetic field. When you add the liquid inside of a glow stick it does not blend but instead falls into the spaces created by the magnetic field. When you watch the video below you will not only see the experiment but learn about why the experiment works the way it does.
Advertisement