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But there are actually different types of ultraviolet light, including UVA, UVB, or UVC. You’re probably most familiar with the term ‘ultraviolet light’ as it pertains to the sun and its effect on your skin. Beyond violet light is ultraviolet light – which is invisible to the human eye. The human eye is capable of seeing light that falls within a narrowly defined spectrum of wavelengths, from about 380 nanometers to about 750 nanometers, with blue and violet light being in the 380-495 range.
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But why? To understand that, we need to talk about the visible light spectrum… A black light bulb actually glows a blue-purplish color. When you turn on a black light in a dark room, the first thing you’ll probably notice is that the light isn’t black… at least not exactly. What Does the ‘UV’ in UV Black Light Mean, Anyway? In this blog, we’ll dig into the science behind black lights, different applications for black lights, and how you can create your own black light experiments to learn more on your own. But I’m sure you’ve wondered, “how do black lights work?” Well, the science behind UV black lights is actually pretty fascinating. If you’ve ever been around a black light, you may have noticed that anyone wearing white is glowing a little bit brighter – as well as anything that’s specifically made to work with black lights.
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When they’re turned off, black lights look just like any other fluorescent lamp – but when they’re turned on, they do something a little bit different! From Halloween parties and groovy dorm room posters to science museums and crime scene investigation television shows, you’re probably familiar with black light technology.
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