9+ Cool Things To Do With Black Light

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Want to know cool things to do with black light? Human beings can see red, orange, yellow, green, cyan, blue, and violet colors.

These colors have narrow bands of wavelength in the range of 380 to740 nanometers (abbreviated as nm).

Wavelength (λ) is the distance between identical points in the adjacent cycles of a light wave. Beyond this range, humans are unable to see the colors.

Each color does not have one fixed wavelength, but typically it is a range of wavelengths. Violet color has the least wavelength.

Wavelength diagram

The above wavelength diagram explains clearly about wavelength and frequencies for perfect lighting conditions.

Something that is beyond violet is Ultraviolet light, commonly known as UV light. UV radiation is also present in sunlight, electric arcs or mercury-vapor lamps. The range of wavelength for UV light is 10 nm to 400 nm and is further divided in to UV-A, UV-B and UV-C. 

UV-A having wavelength ranging between 320 to 400 nm is black light, often also termed as blacklight. UV-B is responsible for formation of vitamin D in humans. However, it would be prudent to avoid long exposure to UV light to eliminate its unhealthy effects.

Black light has the longest wavelength which is invisible to human eyes. But black light illuminates certain materials and emits very little light glowing with some color. 

The substance absorbs energy in blacklight, slowly emits it in darkness and thus gives the effect of soft glow. This process is called phosphorescence. The black light has a special phosphorescent coating which emits UV rays in the UVA category. Most of the black lights emit violet light.

Specially designed fluorescent lamps, mercury-vapor lamps, Light Emitting Diodes (LEDs) are sources of Blacklight. UV LEDs are becoming popular with the advancement in LED technology.

It’s a lot more fun to do bowling, dancing, or roller skating in the dark under blacklight. A glow party or black light party is gaining extraordinary popularity.

However, you need to select the right black light bulb, glow sticks, fluorescent body paint & make up. You can add extra fun by glowing drinks, fog and use of lasers.  Read the article to know cool things to do with black light.

Types of Black Light

The first black light was made by a UV filter over the bulb which is known as Wood’s glass. After that more efficient black lights are invented. The types of black light depend on the various phosphors coating and their shapes. The emitted UV light reacts with phosphors coating which gives the effect of glowing.

  1. Tube Black Light
    It has phosphor coating which absorbs harmful UV light with short wavelength and emits the light of long wavelength which is visible to naked eyes. The black glass tube blocked short wavelength UV light and allowed only long wavelength  blue and violet UV light. It is an effective source of light.
  1. Fluorescent Black Light Tubes
    It has a structure which is similar to fluorescent tubes. The tube has phosphor coating which emits long wavelength ultraviolet.
  1. Inca Medical Descent Black Light Bulb
    It contains filament which is similar to daily used household light bulbs. In addition to this, light filters are used to absorb the light from filament when it is heated. The light filter absorbs all the light other than ultraviolet light which is visible in very less quantity. As it does not produce much light, but is more reasonable than other options.
  1. Bug Zapper Tubes
    It has a phosphor blend which emits UV light which is used as filtered blacklight. Since the glass blocks the mercury emission spectrum, the blue violet light is visible.
  1. High Power Mercury Vapor Black Light
    Instead of phosphor, a spectral line of mercury is used. In this, an envelope of black light coating mercury lines blocks all visible light and ultra-violets light with short wavelengths. The other spectral with range [300, 400]mn passes through a band of black light glass and produces ultraviolet light with effective intensity.

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Cool Things To Do With Black Light

Decoration, hobbies & entertainment

  1. Decoration

(i) The black light is used to create a dark and dull Halloween Haunt party environment. In the party, all lights are replaced with black light. When the lights turn on, it makes a graffiti environment.

(ii) The black light is used in the celebration of happy moments with parties like birthday, anniversary, promotion, New Year’s party, etc. The guests usually wore fluorescent cloths, shiny ornaments which glowed in the black light. One can also include white milk cake with fluorescent color icing, colored cookies and candies which reflect many colors in the black light.

  1. Collection and photography of insects
    The insects are attracted towards the fluorescent light. The black light is used for such purposes.
  1. Haunting Scorpions
    The scorpions can radiate in ultraviolet light so with the help of black light, their haunting is easily possible.
  1. Roller Skating
    The black light paint is used on roller skating, which gives a beautiful glow while skating.
  1. Cosmic Bowling
    Cosmic bowling is a combination of bowling arcade along with black lights.
  1. Disco Clubs
    In disco clubs, blacks lights are used to glow body parts, shoelaces and in the flash lights.
  1. To read the secret message
    The secret message is written with invisible ink. This message is invisible to naked eyes in daytime. The black light is used to read such a message as it glows brightly in the dark.
  1. In magical experiment
    There are some materials which reflect back different colors than the original under the blacklight. This trick is used in many magical experiments.

Health, Security & Testing

  1. Medical Applications
    • The black light is used to detect fungal and bacterial infection in skin and hairs.
    • Poison like ethylene glycol in a patient’s body is detected by the wood’s black light.
    • The wood’s light is also used to diagnose tuberous sclerosis, erythrasma, porphyria cutanea tarda, vitiligo and melanoma.
  1. Security Application
    • Detection of fake banknotes – Fluorescent symbols are used to make real currency which can be seen only under black  light. 
    • The black light is used for authentication of oil paintings, antiques.
    • (iii)The identification cards like Passport and Driver’s licenses contain security feathers which are detected under black light.
    • On the entry some places such as theme parks, nightclubs, etc., fluorescent marked rubber strap is tied on the wrist of  the person. Because of this, he can’t re-enter without paying another entry fee after leaving.
  1. Testing
    Crack or any defect in the metal can be easily detected by black light.
  1. Cleaning
    Most places like kitchen sink, floor, bathroom have yellow fluorescence  stains. Black light used to find such stains. Some bacteria are fluorescing in black light so that they can easily be detected from naked eyes. The black light is used to test the surface and prevent the spread of disease.
  1. Investigation of crime
    For investigation of crime, forensic experts find out the figure print at the crime scene with the help of fluorescent dye and the black light. With the help of black light, fluorescence body fluid stains are easily detected.
  1. Leak detection
    The leakage in refrigerator and air conditioner is detected by injecting compressor lubricant oil with refrigerant mixture into the system. After circulating the dye in the components in running state, the equipment is examined with the help of black light.
  1. To find rats and mice
    Since the rats and mice’s urine is  fluorescent under black light so it is easy to catch them with the help of black light.
  1. Detection of Vitamins
    The vitamins like A, B, B-12 are fluorescent. The solution of vitamin B-12 with vinegar emits a bright yellow color when seen with black light.
  1. Detection of chlorophyll
    Everybody knows that plants are green due to chlorophyll. But, under the black light, chlorophyll emits blood like red color.
  1. To reconstruct automobile accident scenes
    In the antifreeze fluid, factory owners include fluorescent additives to find antifreeze splashes under the black light which help the investigators to reconstruct the accident scenario.
  1. Banana Spots
    The spots on the banana are glows under the black light.

Black Light Appliances In Market

  1. SPIRAL UV LIGHT BULB ULTRAVIOLET EFFECT BLACK LIGHT LOW ENERGY-220V, 30W

The product is made by glass tube and PP. The dimensions of the product is 25.59 x 15.75 inches. It has UV black light with spiral shape. The light is fit in normal sockets in the house. The lifespan of the product is 8000 hours. 

Uses for: Hunting, to trap the pests and spots the pet urine sources which are used in agriculture, control of rodents, fake currency detection, leakage in vehicles, inspection of minerals and gems. 

  1. ADJ Products Stage Light Unit: 

The brand of the product is ADJ. The dimensions of the product is 3 x 25 x 5 inches. The weight of the product is 1.8 pounds. The product is made up of heavy duty metal and 365 nm UV fluorescent  20 w tube light with 3 feets power cord. 

Used for: create glowing atmosphere for parties

  1. LEDVIE 65.6ft UV LED Black Light Strip Kit:

The length is 65.6 feet x 20 m. The product contains 4 x 16.4 feet UV black light strip, 12 V power adapter and DC splitter cable and LED strip clips. It is not waterproof. It emits the UV light of the wavelength 385-405 nm. As it is blendable so it is easy to set up on the floor and wall. It has a 180 degree light emitting angle.

Used for: Aquarium, fishing, special effects in parties, art work, decorations, detection of pigments or paints or dyes which glow in the dark.

  1. Onforu 2 Pack 50W LED Black Lights, Blacklight Flood Light with Plug:

The product has a blacklight floodlight of 50 W along with 100 UV LEDs and it has 50,000 lifespan. The beam angle is 120 degrees. The iten has 110 V US power cord with length 5 feet.  The power consumption is low. The cost of the item is around $50.

Used for: indoor and outdoor parties, club, aquarium, theater performance.

Read more about super cool things to do with black light

Conclusion

The black light emits a longest wavelength ultraviolet light and is least harmful. The black light is in the ultraviolet portion of the spectrum with very less visible light.

For observation of fluorescence, the black light is necessary to produce UV-A light without any visible light due to which substances emit the colored glow. Blacklight is an amazing device which has great applications in daily life, scientific research, arts etc.  

The production of fluorescence by black light is used in decorating and artistic light, diagnosing some disease, detection of crime and in many more. The emission of UV-A from black light is not dangerous for skin as well as eyes, so can observe the fluorescence effect by naked eyes and it is safe for use.

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