Radium Clock Vs Zinc Sulfide Clock

If you had to choose between 2 different kinds of wind-up clocks, and you wanted one with glow-in-the-dark numerals and dials, which would would you choose? Here I compare 2 clocks from roughly the 1950's, one with the radioactive additive Radium to induce its glow of the Zinc Sulfide phosphors contained in its paint, and one without the Radium.

Keep in mind, the Radium clock when brand new, was MUCH brighter than this; decades of direct exposure to radioactivity has destroyed much of the phosphor and thus decreased its luminosity, but would it still be worth choosing over a normal glow in the dark clock? You decide!

All photographs taken with a Canon Rebel XSi, 30-second exposures at F4.0, but I think the ISO was accidentally set to auto.
Music: "A Warm Place", Nine Inch Nails.

Someday I'll find a new band to use... someday...

Category:

Science & Technology

Tags:

• Radium
• clock
• Westclox
• wind-up
• keywound
• crest
• luminous
• glow
• in
• the
• dark
• zinc
• sulfide
• alpha
• rays
• gamma
• scout

[MAG315]

Am I right in assuming that a radium dial watch or clock will only glow with the light from a black light and not a normal flashlight?

[AScannerClearly]

@MAG315 Not "only" so much, but definitely a lot brighter. Normal flashlight (if you mean incandescent) does have enough blue and violet light in it to stimulate the remaining ZnS to glow, but it's that violet & ultraviolet that it really responds to. Of course the one with the radium will respond much less than the pure ZnS clock, and the very old or highly radioactive clocks won't glow at all under even UV and only a radiation meter can detect them, very easily of course!

[amatomicX]

I remember the radium dial alarm clock that was in my room when I was about 10 years old ( back in the 1960s ) Back then when they were still new the glow was bright enough to read the time easily from 3 or 4 feet away, and they gave a steady glow all night long, of course.

[AScannerClearly]

@amatomicX

Wow, that's amazingly bright! Thank you very much for your testimony on that. ^_^

[cezardoborn]

you need a better camers...plus radium stays bright for many year not hours the way your movie shows

[hildman5]

yes i grew up with this many year ago we alway these old clock by

the beds. i still like these very old clock. that way i know what time it is.

any time. that what i love above these very old clock and watches.

[MAG315]

@AScannerClearly  Ok, thanks for the info.

[XQuantumRelativityX]

Awesome video, I just ordered some activated zinc sulfide. =)

[bionerd23]

damn, couldnt get that to work, fucking night-blindness... i dont see any flashes. -_-

but AWESOME video there! i love how you explained everything so detailed; so this is better than my radium watch video, i have to admit. =)