The Firefly Reaction

Presenter: Amara Santos

Co-Presenter(s):
Julia Balcu

Presenter Status: Undergraduate student

Academic Year: 19-20

Semester: Spring

Faculty Mentor: Bogdan Negru

Department: Chemistry

Abstract:
Our group has done research on the firefly reaction to determine the science behind the reaction and how it works. The results of our research is that we have concluded that this demonstration uses the chemistry ideas of oxidation and exothermic energy. The main glow behind a firefly is when the compound luciferin comes in contact with oxygen giving the fireflies a yellow glow. When doing this experiment to replicate the fireflies the glow would light up blue which would last a couple of seconds.