How Does Temperature Affect the Intensity of Light Given Off by Fluorescent Rocks?

Overview

Objectives/Goals My project studied how temperature affects the intensity of fluorescence in fluorescent mineral samples. I studied four different rock samples (Argonite, Flourite, Scapolite, and Hackmanite) under three different temperatures (72 hours in a freezer, room temperature, and 500 degrees). Methods/Materials To measure the light intensity I built a light sensor using a photo resistor attached to an Arduino Uno. To control for the surrounding environment I built my own controlled environment to test the samples in. The minerals were placed in the bottom of the box, the light sensor was held a foot above the sample and the black light was atop of the box. Then the light intensity was recorded for each mineral at each temperature three different times. Results Argonite had the greatest intensity at extreme heat, then at extreme cold and finally at room temperature. Fluorite had its greatest light intensity at extreme cold, then extreme heat, and finally at room temperature. Scapolite's greatest light intensity was at extreme cold, then at room temperature, and then at extreme heat. Hackmanite had its greatest light intensity with extreme cold, and then the room temperature and extreme heat had the same average temperature. Conclusions/Discussion The correlation between temperature and light intensity in not a linear relationship and it depends on the mineral, but I did find an overarching pattern. The greatest light intensity for each mineral sample, was when it was at an extreme temperature, whether it be hot or cold.

Competition history

• CSEF 2014 Earth & Planetary Sciences · Entry J0801

Resources

• CSEF project summary ↗

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