Fireworks

Fireworks put on an amazing display for those who watch, but many may wonder how these bright bursts actually get their vibrant colors. Fireworks are a work of science and many fundamental chemistry and physics concepts are used in setting a firework sky bound. The coloring of fireworks involves heat, chemical compounds, and energy. However, to completely understand this work of chemistry, the history and composition of fireworks should be known as well. Fireworks were invented somewhere between 600 and 900 A.D. and were used in a very different manner than today. During this time period, Chinese alchemists mixed together potassium nitrate (KNO3), sulfur (S), and charcoal to yield a form of gunpowder. This mixture was stuffed into bamboo shoots
The once colorless and flightless blast of an early firework has been improved by all sciences to make the modern firework. The firework we see today involves a cannon, a fuse, gunpowder, and many colorizing metals that give the firework its color. All of these parts work together to produce the bursts of various colors that we see in the sky.

A modern firework needs many parts and chemical reactions in order to be successful. Some parts include a mortar, gunpowder, stars, a shell, and a fuse. A mortar is essentially a cannon that shoots the lit firework into the air. The gunpowder is located on the bottom of the firework and will start to explode when lit by the fuse. The gunpowder contains explosive spheres knows as stars. These stars contain metal which gives a firework its different colors of light. The stars contain an oxidizing agent, fuel, a binder, and metal salts or metal oxides. The oxidizing agent releases oxygen which is then combined with the fuel to set the scene for an explosion once fire is added. A metal-containing colorant is also activated once exposed to the fire. The binder, often a type of starch called dextrin, holds all of the components in a star
Heating plays a major role in contributing to the reactions which create color. Heat makes electrons in the atoms of the colorant rearrange and become high energy electrons. Also, an electromagnetic wave is created through this process. The wavelength of the electromagnetic wave determines what color light will be given off. However, electromagnetic waves may take the form of heat, ultraviolet rays, or light. Certain atoms must be used in order for these waves to create light. Since their discovery in 600 A.D., fireworks have been improving because of advancing sciences. For example, a type of firework made up of compressed air instead of gunpowder is being experimented with. There would be less harm done to the environment if compressed air fireworks were used. Also, some scientists say that this type of firework would be safer for users and have more accuracy during performance. These advantages are yet to be seen in reality, however. From oxidizers to metallic compounds, fireworks are a work of science. With every flash in the night sky, electrons are rearranging and electromagnetic waves are being produced to give us the show of our