When table salt is irradiated, it turns brown due to defects in the excited-state crystal structure, and when heated, it gives off flashes of light and turns colorless as the excited-state crystals return to the ground state. With the Salt with a Sparkle: Irradiated Sodium Chloride—ChemTopic™ Lab Activity, use the thermal fluorescence of irradiated table salt to illustrate crystal defects. Available as part of the Nuclear Chemistry—ChemTopic™ Labs digital collection. Click the Price link for digital collection pricing.