How do black lights work?

Question

please don't give a really complex explanation or copy and paste from wikipedia...thanx

Answer 1

black lights emit light waves in the ultra violet end of the light spectrum. They are called black lights because human beings cannot see ultra violet light waves. What we can see is the way in which certain substances reflect black light causing them to look like they are glowing.

Answer 2

Both earlier answers are correct, but both miss the fact that the dark glass absorbs the visible light and passes the UV. A fluorescent light naturally emits UV but also some visible and some especially harmful UV which is filtered. Incandescent black lights have heavy glass and get very hot absorbing the visible light. It is possible to buy UV filters which can be placed on spotlights for stage effects, but they get hot also.

Answer 3

Black lights are exactly the same as standard flourescent tubes. However, black lights are missing the phosphor coating of the flourescent tube, which absorbs ultraviolet and flouresces (producing the white light). A black light simply emits its ultraviolet light, which causes flourescent inks, paints and materials to glow.