Bioluminescence is the emission of light given off by a living organism. Light is emitted because a chemical reaction occurred and the energy is released in the form of light (the living thing emits light because electrons move through oxygen which absorbs the energy and gives off light a produces a bit of energy). Bioluminescence is known as cold light emission since less than 20% radiates thermal light (when the temperature is greater than zero when particles are constantly moving). So this light is not warm to the touch and has a neon color.
However, because iron is a product of a chemical reaction it will then react with oxygen and, because the animal is outside in normal conditions where it may rain, water will touch the iron product. The iron will corrode (rust) and transform into that red, ruddy color. When the iron is made the molecules have a lot of energy and move fast and want to spread out somewhere else. So it spreads into the cooler oxygen molecules and the bug gets cooler. The reason why it’s warm when one touches it is because one’s finger is cooler than those two strips of the bug, since they just underwent a reaction with oxygen (high energy bonds), so the heat is transferred into one’s finger. The reaction between iron and oxygen is known as exothermic (one that emits heat and light). The system is the bug and the surroundings are your finger and the air.
Even though iron often combusts into rust that will not happen with this bug because its light is bioluminescent and therefore, the object is not warm. The fact that it’s bioluminescent cancels out the warmth the reaction between iron and oxygen produces. Combustion in general, happens due to a high temperature. Also for rust to combust it must undergo a reaction called thermite reaction. Thermite reaction needs metal powder and a metal oxide. Although there is a metal oxide (rust) it’s impossible for the bug to combust because there is no metal powder involved.
http://www.thecatalyst.org/other/thermite/
http://entropysite.oxy.edu/students_approach.html
http://science.howstuffworks.com/environmental/life/zoology/all-about-animals/bioluminescence.htm
1 comment:
I didnt even think about how it could rust. I think this is a great point and justification. I think you are definately going somewhere with this and it is thinking outside the box. I should totally look into this idea.
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