# Why do Wintergreen Certs TM spark in the dark?

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-wintergreen-certs-tm-spark-in-the-dark/161525>\
**Category:** Factual Questions\
**Created:** [March 15, 2003, 4:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-wintergreen-certs-tm-spark-in-the-dark/161525 "2003-03-15T04:12:01Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 6\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![Ashkicker](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/4bbf92/32.png) [@Ashkicker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ashkicker)\
**Post date:** [March 15, 2003, 4:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-wintergreen-certs-tm-spark-in-the-dark/161525/1 "2003-03-15T04:12:01Z")

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I had a friend tell me to turn the light off and chew a Wintergreen Certs TM in front of a mirror. Sure enough I did it and they spark in the dark. Does anyone why?

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**Author:** ![Donovan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/ea666f/32.png) [@Donovan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Donovan)\
**Post date:** [March 15, 2003, 4:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-wintergreen-certs-tm-spark-in-the-dark/161525/2 "2003-03-15T04:17:19Z")

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the master speaks:  
[http://www.straightdope.com/classics/a1\_129.html](http://www.straightdope.com/classics/a1_129.html)

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**Author:** ![Ashkicker](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/4bbf92/32.png) [@Ashkicker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ashkicker)\
**Post date:** [March 15, 2003, 4:36am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-wintergreen-certs-tm-spark-in-the-dark/161525/3 "2003-03-15T04:36:10Z")

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Thanks for the link. I kept searching for Wintergreen Certs and turned up nothing on the search feature. That’s because it’s Wintergreen Life Savers.:smack:

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**Author:** ![Napier](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/ce73a5/32.png) [@Napier](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Napier)\
**Post date:** [March 15, 2003, 11:51am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-wintergreen-certs-tm-spark-in-the-dark/161525/4 "2003-03-15T11:51:10Z")

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Lots of things light up a little bit when you break them apart. Atoms are somewhat bound to each other by several mechanisms and when you break these bonds you put energy into the atoms. Often, some of it leaks back out by changing into photons. You generally have to have a dark place to look for it, though, because it’s never much light.

Many kinds of adhesive tapes do this, too - take a roll into a dark room and unwind it, and look at the spot where the tape is being separated from the layer underneath.

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**Author:** ![Lovely\_Chris](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/c77e96/32.png) [@Lovely\_Chris](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lovely_Chris)\
**Post date:** [March 16, 2003, 1:21am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-wintergreen-certs-tm-spark-in-the-dark/161525/5 "2003-03-16T01:21:34Z")

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Are Lifesavers the same thing as Polos in the UK?

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**Author:** ![ataraxy22](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ataraxy22/32/307_2.png) [@ataraxy22](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ataraxy22)\
**Post date:** [March 16, 2003, 5:45am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-wintergreen-certs-tm-spark-in-the-dark/161525/6 "2003-03-16T05:45:18Z")

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one word: triboluminescence