image credit: Mikhail Matz; image source; larger image

Detecting Fluorescence: Green, Yellow, Orange, and Red in the Deep Sea

To attract prey, this jellyfish fluoresces in the blue light of the ocean. In fluorescence, atoms or molecules absorb light at one wavelength and re-emit light at a longer wavelength, which corresponds to a lower energy.
-- To find out how fluorescence is functional for ocean organisms, visit Fluorescence: the Secret Color of the Deep.
-- To learn how fluorescence in the ocean is investigated, see Detecting Fluorescence: Green, Yellow, Orange, and Red in the Deep Sea .

Login to Comment on this Item

Fluorescence Spectroscopy

Try this Visual Quantum Mechanics simulation of a fluorescent light to explore the relationships among energy levels, excitation energy, and emitted light.

(This feature was updated on December 3, 2013.)

Advanced Search

Browse Physics To Go by Topic.

image credit: Judson Powers; image source; larger image

X-Ray Fluorescence Recovers Ancient Text

This image shows how a Cornell University group used x-ray fluorescence to restore the inscription on a 2000-year-old weathered stone. Some of the atoms producing this fluorescence were residues from the stoneworkers' chisels and from paint applied to the stone. To learn more about this investigation, see X-Ray Fluorescent Recovers Ancient Text.

Molecular Expressions: Introduction to Fluorescence

See Molecular Expressions: Introduction to Fluorescence for a description of this process in terms of photon absorption and emission and atomic energy levels (including a related Java simulation). In addition, you'll find an introduction to fluorescent microscopy.

Also, check out this image of many different solids fluorescing.

(This feature was updated on December 3, 2013.)