Blocking UV Rays

While using UV-Sensitive Beads supplied by Steve Spangler Science, I put some of the beads in various types of plastic bottles, like water bottles, soda bottles, etc, to test various UV-exposure levels. Then I accidentally discovered the "magic" of pharmaceutical (medicine) bottles. Little did I know that about 35-40 years ago, not all medicine bottles were the same as they are today. The bottles are now nearly one hundred percent "UV-blockers!"

Whether the bottle is yellow, light amber (orange), green, or red, they all have one thing in common - their unique "properties" (the color and density of the plastic bottles) block out UV-rays. This also has an important medical application. The bottles are used to block out ultraviolet radiation because exposure to sunlight can alter the chemistry of a tablet or capsule, even liquids, thus altering its effectiveness to treat patients.

I use all the various types and colors of medicine bottles to experiment with. Sometimes I use assorted bead colors, other times I use only one color of bead. The beads come in various colors like red, yellow, blue, purple, and orange. You can test this yourself by comparing various types of common products, like different plastic/glass bottles, even water bottles, because their "thickness" levels do vary with design and will show different levels of ultraviolet exposures.

Also, I educate students about the importance of using sunscreen to prevent skin damage that could later lead to skin cancer. This is especially true for higher elevations above sea level - the less atmospheric density, the more concentrated the UV-rays are.

Virtually nine out of ten students have never seen ultraviolet radiation (UV-rays) demonstrated this way! It's a sure bet to put a smile on your students' faces and get them thinking about the power of ultraviolet radiation!