Phosphorescent pigments have which characteristic?

Phosphorescent pigments have which characteristic?

• A. Absorb light and re-emit it over time
• B. Absorb water and release it slowly
• C. Do not emit light
• D. Change color with electricity

Answer: (A)

Phosphorescent pigments store energy from light and then slowly re-emit it as light after the light source is removed. This delayed emission, or afterglow, happens because some excited electrons get trapped in long-lived states and only gradually drop back, releasing photons over time. This is different from fluorescence, where light is emitted almost immediately while the material is still exposed to light. The other ideas—absorbing water, not emitting light, or changing color with electricity—don’t describe how phosphorescent pigments glow.

Phosphorescent pigments store energy from light and then slowly re-emit it as light after the light source is removed. This delayed emission, or afterglow, happens because some excited electrons get trapped in long-lived states and only gradually drop back, releasing photons over time. This is different from fluorescence, where light is emitted almost immediately while the material is still exposed to light. The other ideas—absorbing water, not emitting light, or changing color with electricity—don’t describe how phosphorescent pigments glow.