Here are some free videos on the science of fireworks to help you celebrate the holiday. Be safe, follow instructions, and enjoy the science.
Fireworks play a role in many holidays and celebrations. Have you ever wondered how they get the different colors into the fireworks? If you want yellow fire, do you add yellow paint to the mixture? No, that would not work. Instead, you need something that will burn with a yellow flame. Yellow flames are fairly common, but what about green flames or purple flames?
An important part of many fireworks is the BANG! What actually causes that sound?
While this video deals with lightning, you can use the same technique to calculate how far away the fireworks are.
Try this simple experiment to see how they get the sparks in sparklers.
Can you really get mini-fireworks from an orange? Of course you can, if you know the science.