Fireworks are a fantastic outdoor show. Their bright bursts of color and loud booms can be seen and heard at Fourth of July and New Year’s Eve celebrations across the United States. But do you know how fireworks work?
When a firework is lit, gunpowder is burned. When the gunpowder burns, it makes heat and gas that build up. When the heat and gas are forced out of the bottom of the firework, the firework is launched into the air.
Once the firework is high in the sky, metal salts are mixed with chemicals. When these two materials mix, they give off heat and gas. The pressure causes another explosion. This explosion sends out pieces of salt and powder called “stars.” Different kinds of chemicals are used to make the stars. Depending on what chemicals were used, different colors and sounds are seen across the sky.
What Do You Think? What other things would you like to see in a fireworks show?
Photo Credit: John Lund/Blend Images
