As you look up in the sky tonight, a fabulous display of colors will burst forth. If you’ve ever wondered how fireworks get their color, it has everything to do with metal salts.
When fireworks are ignited, the heat causes the compounds to undergo a chemical reaction, releasing energy in the form of light. The excited atoms or ions emit wavelengths of light, resulting in the colorful displays we see in the sky during fireworks shows.
Here are elements used in fireworks and the colors they produce:
- Blue - Copper chloride
- Green - Barium chloride
- Purple - Strontium & copper are mixed together
- Red - (my favorite color) comes from Strontium carbonate
- Orange - Calcium chloride
- Silver- Magnesium & aluminum
- Yellow - Sodium nitrate
In addition to these specific compounds, the colors can be further modified by adding various other elements to create different shades and hues. To make a deeper red color, for example, nitrates are added to the strontium salts. The specific combinations and concentrations of these chemicals determine the intensity and duration of the colors produced.
Firework manufacturers carefully design the composition and arrangement of these chemicals within the firework shell to create a sequence of colors and patterns, providing a visually stunning experience for spectators.
Be safe tonight and enjoy the show!