The Chemistry Of Fireworks

There are two basic types of fireworks that form the big displays in the sky: firecrackers and sparklers. They are made in different ways. Firecrackers are rolled paper tubes that are filled with gunpowder called black powder or a fuse and flash paper. As you light the fuse, fire burns along the fuse and when it reaches the powder there is a loud explosion. Sparklers, though, make colorful, long lasting light. They contain more ingredients which means they burn longer and produce a light and sparks. The metals in the sparklers such as aluminum, iron, steel, zinc, and magnesium are the burning bits of dust (How Are Fireworks Made?). The fireworks colorful flame that is produced in the explosion is a result from combustion. Atoms rearrange themselves permanently, which means that when fireworks are being burned, you cannot reverse it. Fires only …show more content…
The most important component of fireworks is gunpowder or black powder. Originally, the Chinese used a combination of honey, sulfur, and saltpetre (potassium nitrate. They found this mixture would suddenly erupt into flame when heated. Later on, honey was replaced with charcoal, where the sulfur and charcoal would act as fuels in the reaction, and the potassium nitrate was an oxidising agent (The Chemistry of Fireworks).
Fireworks are not a simple thing to make, they require a lot of careful preparation and science. Each firework has a precisely formed assembly of chemicals and fuel to produce a particular effect. To understand how the contents of a firework are produced require only a simple understanding of chemical reactions. Fireworks are ignited but lighting the main fuse. It starts both the fast action fuse, that quickly carries the flame to the lift change, and the time delay fuse, that continues to burn upward toward the cardboard compartments containing the ‘stars’ (Chemical of the Week ---