In my master thesis I present theoretical and practical aspects of chemiluminescence in glow sticks. Chemiluminescence is one of many types of luminescence and means radiation of light of characteristic wavelengths as a result of exothermic chemical reaction. This process takes place inside of glow sticks and can be used in physics or chemistry classes in primary and in secondary school. With glow sticks (that radiate different colours) we can easily visualize difficult-to-understand concepts to students and we can also increase student's motivation for studying natural sciences. The theoretical part describes the concepts important for understanding luminescence processes, the chemiluminescence reaction mechanism in glow stick, the analogy with the functioning principle of lasers and also the advantages and benefits of student's independent experimental work with glow sticks. In the experimental part, there are 5 optimized experiments with glow sticks which can be used in classes. With experiments we can achieve many objectives of the curriculum in physics and chemistry in primary and secondary school. The experiments are: a) Proof that hydrogen peroxide is a reagent in the reaction in a glow stick, b) Determining which substance is formed in the reaction in a glow stick, c) Anayisis of the influence of base and acid on the emission of light, d) Determining whether the energy is released or absorbed during the reaction in a glow stick, e) Display of additive light mixing. Each experiment is also equipped with a worksheet for students and the teacher.
|
