Question

The coating on the inside of fluorescent light tubes absorbs ultraviolet light and subsequently emits visible light. An inventor claims that he is able to do the reverse process. Is the inventor’s claim possible?

a) Yes, the reverse process is feasible.

b) No, the reverse process violates energy conservation.

c) Fluorescent materials cannot emit visible light.

d) Ultraviolet light cannot be absorbed by coatings.

Answer 1

The inventor's claim is not possible as the reverse process of a fluorescent light tube violates energy conservation.

Step-by-step explanation:

The inventor's claim that he is able to do the reverse process of a fluorescent light tube is not possible. The coating on the inside of fluorescent light tubes absorbs ultraviolet light and then emits visible light. This process is known as fluorescence.

Fluorescent materials work by absorbing high-energy photons, such as ultraviolet light, and then re-emitting lower-energy photons in the visible light spectrum. This process is not reversible, as the energy levels of the absorbed photons are not sufficient to produce higher-energy ultraviolet light.

Therefore, the correct answer is b) No, the reverse process violates energy conservation.