HOW FIREWORKS WORK

Fireworks require several components to provide the entertainment they do. First they need to get up into the sky, a task carried out by the "launch charge". Most modern fireworks have their launch charge ignited electronically. Once the shell is in the air it must detonate, and then the pyrotechnics (colorful fires) ignite providing the beautiful display we see. The shell contains "stars", small packages of chemicals to carry out this portion of the show.

Click here for a nice internet site on the anatomy of fireworks

In order to make colored stars, various chemicals can be added. Iron (mixed with titanium) provides sparks. Copper salts can give blue colors, strontium salts make them red and barium salts give green. We showed several of these colors at Discovery World, only we ignited them by a cool, sterno flame rather than a high explosive, fireworks shell.

Click here for an internet site that shows how different chemical elements are used (for things like color) in fireworks.

There are lots of web sites about fireworks. Here are a few.

Colors of fireworks - some detailed physics here.

Web course in fireworks - by a chemistry professor in Ohio.

Safety Tips - posted by the Fire Department in Madison.

Computer fireworks display - runs a Java script with sound.