The tradition of celebrating the Fourth of July with fireworks involves a lot of chemistry before the actual display can take place. According to Paul Smith, who is the director of lecture demonstrations in the Department of Chemistry at Purdue University, fireworks are a combustion reaction that involves oxygen and other fuels being combined to produce light, sound, and propulsion.
Smith has more than 30 years of experience working with pyrotechnics, and he explains that the different colors of the fireworks are produced by the elements used in them. For example, strontium is used for red, barium for green, copper for blue, calcium for orange, and sodium for yellow.
Creating a fireworks show requires a lot of knowledge to understand how the fireworks will react and perform in the air. Those who create the fireworks put different components together with the intention of presenting a variety of effects once they are ignited and in the sky.
All of the science and planning that goes into creating fireworks displays is ultimately combined to create a sensory experience on the Fourth of July. This includes the visual display, the sound produced by the fireworks, the smoke that accompanies them, and even the pressure wave created by the loud noises that can be felt against the body.
To find Independence Day events in Dayton, you can click here for a list of celebrations.