Have you ever wondered how people made fireworks?
Or why do baking soda and vinegar react when put together?
Well, today (or tonight) I will explain some of these wonders.
How Are Fireworks Made?
How are fireworks made? Well, I will explain how they are made.
Let’s start with how they explode.
Inside fireworks, there is something called gunpowder. This is contained in something called a “shell”.
When the fuse gets lit up, the flame will burn until it reaches the shell. When the flame finally reaches the shell it burns through it reaching the gunpowder which burns rapidly, creating a huge amount of gas and heat.
The gas builds up, creating pressure until the shell cannot contain it anymore. When the shell cannot contain the gas building up anymore, the shell explodes and releases all of the chemical compounds.
This is how they explode. But how do they get their vivid and bright colors?
Well, let’s first learn a little bit about acid.
There are all different kinds of acid. Some of them are even in drinks!
Unbelievable?
Well, it’s true, the acid in drinks is called citric acid. Citric acid is found in lemons, oranges, and limes! When we drink, let’s say orange juice, it does not hurt us like a different acid I will talk about it a little later.
Why?
Because citric acid is a weak kind of acid. That is why when we drink it, it does not hurt us. Now let’s talk about a strong acid.
Other kinds of acids are hydrochloric acid (HCI), sulfuric acid (H2SO4), nitric acid (HNO3), perchloric acid (HClO4), and chromic acid (H2CrO4).
These are all very dangerous but we can still use them for things.
Like sulfuric acid.
This is another highly corrosive and reactive acid that is widely used in the chemical industry for the production of fertilizers, detergents, and other industrial chemicals.
Or chromic acid.
This kind of acid is a highly toxic and corrosive acid that is used in the electroplating industry to create a protective coating on metal surfaces.
Now let’s say you put pure copper in some sulfuric acid. The copper burns since sulfuric acid is very strong. You will see the blue-green color coming from the metal.
This is the periodic table of the elements. If you burn off of these, they give a color, which is how fireworks get their colors.
It depends on which element you put in for a different color.
So, now we know how fireworks explode, and how they get their color.
But I will explain a little more about how fireworks get their colors.
After a few days, maybe hours, (depends how strong the acid is) the burned metal leaves some sort of white powder. When you put this powder in a fire, the fire turns a different color!
If you put this powder inside of the shell of the firework, and the gunpowder, and light it, then you have a firework!
