Triboluminescence is an optical phenomenon that generates light through the breaking of chemical bonds in a material when it is pulled apart, ripped, rubbed, scratched, or crushed (fractoluminescence). An exact understanding of how the process works has yet to be established. The current theory involves electrical charge separation that results in ionization of the surrounding air, which produces the flash of light.
Mint-flavored Life Saver candies are an easy way to visualize this phenomenon with the naked eye. Crushing them with a hammer (or your teeth) in a dark room will generate bright blue sparks. This light is actually generated by a two-step process involving fluorescence, which is the emission of light by a substance that has absorbed another wavelength of light. The light released by triboluminescence is ultraviolet and therefore invisible to the human eye. However, the wintergreen oil used in mint flavoring is fluorescent, and converts the invisible ultraviolet light into visible blue light.
I highly recommend watching the source video from +SmarterEveryDay to see more slow motion footage of Life Savers being hammered and shot with a pellet gun.
Source: https://youtu.be/tW8q_JfmcbU (Smarter Every Day)
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