Why Do Very Hot Things Glow?

What Crafty Clover says in this video

Intro

Hi there, curious minds! I'm Crafty Clover! Let's discover something amazing. Why do very hot things glow?

The Big Idea

When something gets hot enough, it begins to glow. The hotter it gets, the more the color changes. Let's watch the colors climb!

Atoms Jiggle Hard

Step one: atoms jiggle hard. When something gets hot enough, its atoms jiggle so hard that they give off light. The jiggling turns thermal energy into light energy.

Color Climbs

Step two: the color climbs. First it glows a dull red, then orange, yellow, and finally white-blue as it gets hotter. The color is a clue to how hot it is.

Glowing Things

Step three: glowing things. A heated metal poker, a toaster coil, and the thin wire in an old light bulb all glow this way. Never touch glowing things, because they are far too hot.

A Closer Look

Let's take a closer look! A warm poker glows red. A hotter one glows orange. A very hot one glows yellow. The hottest glows white-blue.

Quick Facts

Quick facts! The wire in an old light bulb reaches about forty-five hundred degrees Fahrenheit. Red means cooler, and white means hotter. Toaster coils glow when they are on. Remember, never touch glowing things, because they are far too hot.

Think Like a Scientist

Now, think like a scientist! Look at pictures of glowing metal in a blacksmith's shop. Find a red one and a white one. Match the colors to temperatures. Remember, red is cooler and white is hotter. Write down what you notice, and share it with a grown-up.

Outro

Very hot things glow because their jiggling atoms give off light, and the color shows how hot they are. Never touch anything glowing! Science is amazing! Crafty Clover can be found on Amazon Books, Google Bookstore, and Apple Books. Available for purchase or download! Bye for now!