Olivia wants to find out whether a substance will fluoresce. She says she should put it in a microwave oven. Do you agree with her? Why or why not?

Answer:

I disagree with Olivia. Fluorescence is the property of absorbing light of short wavelengths (like ultraviolet light) and emitting light of longer wavelengths. Therefore, she should use ultraviolet light to see if the substance fluoresces. Microwaves have much longer wavelengths and lower energy than ultraviolet light and are typically used for cooking or communication, not for testing fluorescence.