Photons hitting the metal of the bike

AI Thread Summary
The discussion centers around a new paint technology for bikes that changes color with heat and light exposure. Participants share their childhood experiences with similar color-changing materials and express concerns about potential drawbacks, such as leaving marks on the bike seat. The mechanism behind the color change is explained as a result of fluorescent dyes mixed into the paint, where electrons in rare Earth compounds are excited by UV light and then emit light when they return to a lower energy state. Additionally, it is noted that heat can also activate this process, similar to how tape-style thermometers work. Overall, the technology is intriguing, with a mix of nostalgia and curiosity about its practical applications.
jumbo400
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Check this out. I’ve never seen anything like it. Says on their webpage that it actually changes with heat. I’m hoping someone in here has heard more or tried it. My car is next…… I got to have this…….

http://www.alsacorp.com//xposure_bike.htm
 
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You know this effect is not new - the application onto a vehicle is, though! :D
 
Bah. I had toy cars with that type of paint when I was a kid. I used to have them in my mouth and that made them change colour, don't know how smart that was concidering the possible hazards of the involved chemicals...
I for one wouldn't like to have marks after my ass on my motorcycle an hour or two after i got off... That doesn't seem too cool.

Anyway, does anyone here know how it works?
 
Im guessing it would work with the photons hitting the metal of the bike. Then these photons would oscilate the electrons in the metal and change its energy, ... Thats where I get stuck, probably wrong, I am wondering too how it works?
 
Nenad said:
Im guessing it would work with the photons hitting the metal of the bike. Then these photons would oscilate the electrons in the metal and change its energy, ... Thats where I get stuck, probably wrong, I am wondering too how it works?

Temperature change... like the tape-style thermometers

?
 
It's pretty simple. They mix in fluorescent dyes into the regular paint.

Electrons in certain rare Earth doped compounds get excited by the UV in sunlight into certain dopant states. They then fall back (almost immediately, unlike in glo-sticks, which have long afterglow) into the original state through a series of downward transitions. And of course, when an electron drops to a lower energy state, it emits light.

That, I believe, is what's happening.
 
The same activation can also be provided by phonons (heat) instead of photons (light).

Look up fluorescence, photoluminescence and thermoluminescence.
 
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