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Have
you peeled tape in the dark lately? UCLA researchers found that unwinding sticky tape can actually emit X-rays.
No need to panic, This occurs only when carried out in a
vacuum.
This phenomenon is known as
Triboluminescence, an optical phenomenon in
which light is generated through the
breaking of chemical bonds in a material
when it is pulled apart, ripped, scratched,
crushed, or rubbed.
The phenomenon is not
fully understood, but appears to be caused
by the separation and reunification of
electrical charges. Triboluminescence can
be observed when breaking sugar crystals and
peeling adhesive tapes.
When the researchers experimented, they found that peeling sticky tape released enough X-rays to take an image of one of the scientists’ fingers using a dental X-ray detector.
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