Meaning & use
triboluminescence
Last updated
Meaning
noununcountabletechnicalphysics
The emission of light from a material when it is crushed, rubbed, or otherwise mechanically stressed.
Grammar: Uncountable; used without 'a' or 'an'. Can be used with 'the' when specific.
Patterns
- triboluminescence of something
- triboluminescence in something
When you crush a sugar cube in the dark, you may see a faint flash of triboluminescence.
The triboluminescence of certain crystals is being studied for use in pressure sensors.
Scientists observed triboluminescence when the material was scratched.
Common combinations
- faint triboluminescence
- The faint triboluminescence was only visible in total darkness.
- observe triboluminescence
- Researchers observed triboluminescence when the crystal was struck.
- triboluminescence of crystals
- The triboluminescence of crystals can be used to detect damage.
Word family
- triboluminescent adjective
- Describing a material that emits light when mechanically stressed.
Commonly confused: triboluminescence or fluorescence? triboluminescence or chemiluminescence?
triboluminescence vs fluorescence
Fluorescence is light emitted after absorbing light or other electromagnetic radiation; triboluminescence is caused by mechanical force, not light.
triboluminescence vs chemiluminescence
Chemiluminescence is light produced by a chemical reaction; triboluminescence is produced by mechanical stress.
Practice
What causes triboluminescence?
Choose one answer.
Triboluminescence is light emitted when a material is crushed, rubbed, or otherwise mechanically stressed. Absorption of light causes fluorescence, a chemical reaction causes chemiluminescence, and heating can cause incandescence.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “triboluminescence”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.