Fireworks are known to generate three form of energy when launched. The three energy forms are sound, light, and heat energy. For the fireworks to produce the three forms of energy there are chemical reactions that take place in the background. One is able to hear the sound and see the light produced, usually in different colors. However, there is chemistry behind every process and noticeable outcome whenever a firework is launched. There are four main chemical components that are required to formulate a firework that burns at the right time, altitude, and produces the desired effect (color or shape). The four components are a binder, an oxidizer, a colorant, and a fuel. A fuel burns to help propel the firework into the sky. An oxidizer provides extra oxygen molecules for the fuel to help it burn. A colorant helps produce the colors as seen while the binder is used to hold the three components together. This paper discusses the chemical reactions that lead to the production of colors, sounds, and shapes whenever the fireworks are lit.
A firework rocket produces explodes when it is lit and launched into the sky. A firework is usually packed with a fuel that burns when it is lit, mostly charcoal or sulfur (Naik & Patil, 2015). Gunpowder is commonly fuel in the fireworks because of its ability to burn under control. Very fine granules of gunpowder are placed in a rocket at the bottom of the firework as well as within the body. On lighting, the fine powder burns slowly and lights larger granules, also at the bottom of the firework. The large granules are explosive and send the firework rocket into the sky whenever they burn. The body of the rocket is packed with pellets of the gunpowder. These explode more when they burn, causing the explosion to be heard from the ground. The explosive sound produced results from rapid heat energy release into the air. The air then expands faster than the speed at which sound travels producing a shock wave. The shock wave is heard at the ground level as a boom sound.
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Other than the explosion heard, there are colors and shapes that are seen whenever a firework is launched into the sky (Srinivasan, 2017). Inside each firework rocket, there is a colorant that produces the colors seen on explosion. The colorants are types of chemicals mixed as desired by the person making the rocket. For a red color to be seen, one needs strontium compounds when making the rocket. A green color can be attained by using barium compounds, copper salts produce blue colors, magnesium compounds produce a white color while sodium salts produce a yellowish or orange color. The shapes that are usually seen in the sky are usually packed in the balls that way. For example, a smiley shape seen originates from a smiley shape packed in the ball when making the firework. A person fixes the shape they want into the firework such that when it explodes, the colorants spread but retain the shape.
A firework may seem simple but there are several reactions that lead to desired effects. Burning is the primary process that takes place, and helps propel the rocket into the sky as well as making it explode. A fuel that burns is packed in the rocket, usually mixed with an oxidized that provides extra oxygen molecules that facilitate burning. There is also a colorant that is packed indefinite shapes to produce a specific color and shape when the rocket explodes. Lastly, the fuel, the colorant, and the oxidizer are held together by a binder.
References
Naik, V., & Patil, K. C. (2015). High energy materials. Resonance.
Srinivasan, K. (2017). Eco-friendly fireworks for atom bomb (Local name of cracker bomb). Journal of Advanced Applied Scientific Research, 1 (7).
