Making Light by Rubbing Quartz

In a dark room, rub or strike two pieces of clear quartz together to produce brief flashes of light and a faint odor. This visible glow is triboluminescence - light emitted when crystals are stressed, fractured, or rubbed.

1. Collect two clean, dry pieces of clear quartz large enough to hold comfortably. Inspect for sharp edges and brush off any grit.
2. Darken the room completely and allow your eyes to adapt for 1 to 2 minutes.
3. Hold one quartz in each hand with the flattest faces facing each other.
4. Press the faces together firmly and rub or slide with moderate pressure. Alternatively, tap the pieces together gently, edge to face.
5. Watch for short, blue white sparks and glows at the contact point. Note any faint sharp smell in the air near the stones.

Making Cold Light From Crystals - The Action Lab:

The Discovery of Crystal Light! | Triboluminescence - Plasma Channel:

📄 Real Glowing Rocks - Science Fun For Everyone: https://www.sciencefun.org/kidszone/experiments/real-glowing-rocks/

• Compare quartz types: clear rock crystal vs milky quartz vs smoky quartz.
• Chill one sample in a refrigerator or warm it slightly in your hands, then repeat to test temperature effects..
• Test humidity: perform on a dry day vs a humid day to see if moisture reduces the effect.

• Wear safety glasses to protect against chips or shards. Do not strike hard enough to shatter the quartz.
• Inspect and smooth sharp edges if needed. Handle fragments with care and avoid creating dust.
• Work over a tray or soft cloth so dropped stones do not crack or bounce.
• Keep fingers clear of pinch points when rubbing stones together.
• If you try sugar or candy, keep fragments out of eyes and do not chew very hard candies if that poses a dental risk.

• What produces the light when you rub quartz? (Mechanical stress separates charges in the crystal; rapid recombination creates tiny electrical discharges that excite air molecules, which emit light.)
• Why is the glow bluish white? (Excited nitrogen and oxygen in air emit mainly in the blue ultraviolet region, which appears bluish to our eyes.)
• Why might clear quartz glow more than cloudy quartz? (Fewer impurities and less internal scattering let more of the light escape to your eyes.)
• What causes the smell during the demo? (Small electrical discharges can generate ozone and other reactive oxygen species, giving a sharp odor.)
• How would humidity change the effect? (Moist air and surface films conduct away charge, reducing the voltage build up and dimming the glow.)