What is the Difference Between Luminescence and Phosphorescence?
🆚 Go to Comparative Table 🆚Luminescence and phosphorescence are both forms of light emission from substances, but they differ in the way they emit light and the duration of the emission. Here are the main differences between luminescence and phosphorescence:
- Mechanism: Luminescence is the process of emitting light from a substance without any heat, while phosphorescence is a type of luminescence where the substance can store the absorbed energy and release it later, resulting in an afterglow that persists after the light has been switched off.
- Emission Time: In fluorescence (a type of luminescence), a substance immediately reemits the absorbed radiation, while in phosphorescence, the substance does not reemit the radiation immediately after the absorption.
- Lifetime: Fluorescence emissions typically take place immediately and are only visible as long as the exciting light is present, while phosphorescent emissions persist even after the exciting light has been removed.
In summary, luminescence refers to the emission of light from a non-heated substance due to causes such as chemical or electrical energy. Phosphorescence, on the other hand, is a type of luminescence where the substance does not reemit the radiation immediately after the absorption, resulting in a longer-lasting afterglow.
Comparative Table: Luminescence vs Phosphorescence
Luminescence is the emission of light produced by means other than heat. It can be divided into two types: fluorescence and phosphorescence. Here is a table summarizing the differences between luminescence, fluorescence, and phosphorescence:
| Property | Luminescence | Fluorescence | Phosphorescence |
|---|---|---|---|
| Definition | The emission of light without heat | A type of luminescence where the absorbed photon energy is immediately re-emitted as radiation of a different frequency | A type of luminescence where there is a change in electron spin, resulting in a longer lifetime of the excited state (from seconds to minutes) after exposure to and removal of a source of radiation |
| Lifetime | Varies | Short-lived (< 10^(-5) s) | Longer-lived (from seconds to minutes) |
| Energy Transition | Any energy transition | Decaying electrons have the same multiplicity as the excited electrons | Excited electrons have a different multiplicity, resulting in a change in electron spin |
| Application | Fluorescence can occur in gaseous, liquid, and solid chemical systems, and includes diverse applications such as bioluminescence and chemiluminescence | Common applications include fluorescence microscopy, flow cytometry, and spectroscopy | Phosphorescence has relatively weak emissions and requires careful sample preparation for applications in luminescence spectroscopy |
In summary, luminescence is the general term for light emission without heat, fluorescence is a type of luminescence with short-lived excited states, and phosphorescence is a type of luminescence with longer-lived excited states due to a change in electron spin.
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