It has become somewhat of a tradition for me to electrocute a pickle or two in my grade 12 physics class the day before the Winter Break. Partially to entice the students into class that day, but mostly because it's cool. (And tangentially related to the content. Of course.)
Warning: Science Content ahead
The pickles glow yellow-orange because of the sodium chloride. I read a few years ago about a group who had soaked pickles in different kinds of salts, which caused them to glow different colours. I kept meaning to try it, but every year I forgot about it until a week or so beforehand, which wouldn't give me enough time. This year, however, I was on top of it.
Warning: Science Content ahead
The pickles glow yellow-orange because of the sodium chloride. I read a few years ago about a group who had soaked pickles in different kinds of salts, which caused them to glow different colours. I kept meaning to try it, but every year I forgot about it until a week or so beforehand, which wouldn't give me enough time. This year, however, I was on top of it.
