Ron Lancaster, of Kimbolton Fireworks, knows how to make a bonfire party go with a bang (and a boom!). Ron has been making fireworks since he became a chemistry teacher many years ago.
Hello Ron! How are fireworks made?
“A firework is a tube which contains small explosives packed in a type of gunpowder. This is called black powder. A piece of chemically-treated string sits in the black powder and sticks out of the top of the tube. This is called a fuse. An adult lights the fuse, which ignites the black powder and the firework shoots up into the sky.
How do you make different-coloured fireworks?
“The colour of a firework depends on the chemicals inside. For example, if you add iron to a firework then the flashes in the sky will be silver. If you add copper carbonate then there will be blue flashes in the sky.”
So there must be a lot of science involved in making fireworks?
“Yes, and a chemistry degree will be useful if this is what you want to do. If you want to change the mixture for a certain firework then you need to know the characteristics of the chemicals and metals you are dealing with. Knowledge of physics and maths will help too.”
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