What makes fireworks fly

A more hazardous and expensive compound, sodium oxalate, would have to be used. After choosing what colors and salts your firework needs, you need to give it a way to get into the sky. Black powder a mixture of sulfur, potassium nitrate, and charcoal is used to launch fireworks because it burns slowly enough that its explosion can be guided by a mortar or tube.

Coarse-grained black powder is usually used for fireworks as it has larger grains, reducing the surface area of each piece, which further slows down the explosion. While the firework is flying into the air, the firework's fuse burns up to the compartment containing the compounds that will produce the light, color and sound. It is common for flash powder to accompany the color producing compound.

Flash powder refers to a family of compounds, but when it is used it fireworks it is most commonly a mixture of potassium perchlorate and aluminum powder. This mixture produces a loud sound and quick, bright explosion when lit, so it is a great way to ignite the color of the firework. One of the most popular types of fireworks is called the willow. In a willow firework, the stars contain a large amount of charcoal that allows the trails of the stars to burn on their way down to the ground.

The stars must contain a large amount of salt so that the color will last for the extended period of time. What's next for fireworks?

Chemists are constantly looking for new compounds to produce better colors. Currently, getting blue into the sky is the biggest challenge. The copper ion used for blue has its emission washed out by the intense heat needed to explode the shell. So next time you watch a fireworks show, take a moment to consider the amazing chemistry occurring above you, and keep on the lookout for rare blue fireworks!

Temple, Robert K. New York: Simon and Schuster, Kosanke, K. Pyrotechnic Chemistry. Whitewater, CO: Journal of Pyrotechnics, January 14, By: Sci Bytes. Planet Science. Advanced Search. Under 11s. Over 11s. Over 11s Natural world. Human body. Physics IS fun! Science celebrities. Chemistry Chaos. How do fireworks work? Find out what makes fireworks go bang Whoooooooooooooooooooosh! Explosions: Fireworks were first made in China over 1, years ago! Colour and sparkles: Colours are made by burning metal salts.

Burning different types of metal salts makes different coloured flames. Have a look at this: The bright sparkles in fireworks come from burning small bits of metal, such as iron or steel filings. Enjoy your fireworks - now you can explain to everyone how they work. The most commonly used oxidizers are nitrates, the major component of black powder.

Nitrates are composed of nitrate ions NO3- with metal ions. The most common oxidizer is potassium nitrate, which decomposes to potassium oxide, nitrogen gas, and oxygen gas. When reacting, nitrates release two of their three oxygen atoms. Because the oxidation does not result in the release of all available oxygen, the reaction is not as vigorous as that of other oxidizers and is more controlled. This is why nitrates are used as the major component of black powder.

In fireworks their main purpose is to provide the initial thrust to power the package into the sky and to ignite each bundle of stars. Nitrates are usually not used in star explosions, because reactions of nitrates do not produce a temperature high enough to energize many of the more colorful metal salts. These oxidizers are the chlorates, which contain the chlorate ion ClO3- , and they give up all their oxygen upon reaction.

These chlorates have the disadvantage of being less stable mechanically than nitrates, and therefore more dangerous to handle.

Chlorate compounds sometimes can be detonated just by dropping them on the ground! This instability results from the fact that although the chlorine atom has the potential to bond with four oxygen atoms, in chlorates it bonds with only three, leaving the chlorine atom unsaturated and reactive. The complete release of its oxygen atoms makes chlorate a better oxidizing agent than nitrate. Unlike nitrate-containing compounds that produce a relatively slow burning rate, the oxidation by chlorates produces a much faster detonation — an explosion.

In recent years, fewer fireworks manufacturers are using chlorates. Instead, perchlorates are now more commonly used because of their increased stability and oxygen release.

Perchlorates contain the perchlorate ion ClO4- , in which each chlorine atom is bonded to four oxygen atoms. The chlorine is bonded to its maximum number of oxygen atoms, and so perchlorates are more stable than chlorates. Yet, perchlorate is able to release all four of its oxygen atoms. So, perchlorates are not only more stable, but more oxygen-rich than chlorates. They, like chlorates, produce more vigorous reactions than nitrates. The oxygen released by nitrates, chlorates, and perchlorates in the star compartments immediately combines with the reducing agents to produce hot, rapidly expanding gasses.

The most common reducing agents are sulfur and carbon charcoal —standard components of black powder — which react with oxygen to produce sulfur dioxide and carbon dioxide respectively:. The reactions that produce these gases also release a great deal of heat energy, so not only are the gases produced rapidly, they are hot and rapidly expanding gases. This adds to the explosive force of the reaction.

Fireworks are used so frequently today in celebrations that it is easy to forget that they are dangerous explosives. Every year more than 8, people in the U. Nearly half of the victims are children. A third of the injuries are caused by illegally obtained fireworks, and burns account for half the injuries. The National Fire Protection Association enforces stringent safety regulations for large fireworks displays, and has valuable information on how to safely and responsibly handle consumer fireworks.

Spectators must be kept at least feet from the launch area that's based on the height and burst diameter of the largest shells. Shells may not be launched if winds are stronger than 20 miles per hour, because they could be blown off course.

Nevertheless, many accidents occur with unregulated, informal neighborhood displays, when spectators attracted to the activities stand dangerously close to the launch area. Fireworks manufacturers also go to great lengths to ensure safety, but even so, more than 20 workers were killed in firework plants in the U. Safety regulations require that buildings be separated by concrete blast walls and that roofs be weakened to ensure that any explosion travels upwards rather than outwards.

In addition, most fireworks are still made by hand because metal machinery could produce sparks or static electricity which would ignite the explosives.

Many animals are frightened by the noise of fireworks and people are urged to leave their pets at home when they go to fireworks displays.