Pyrotechnics - Science of Rock Concerts

Pyrotechnics How to Start a Fire

Pyrotechnics is the sciences of fireworks. There is a lot of chemistry and physics in pyrotechnics. The physics behind pyrotechnics has to do with how atoms move. During a chemical change the atoms in a molecule move. Depending on how fast the atoms move more energy is released or absorved. This process is called oxidation. If the oxidation rate is slow, it only raises the heat of an object about one degree farenheit. Some materials however some materials have a very fast oxidation rate which cause the object to become very hot. If heat is created faster then it goes away combustion also known as burning begins. For combustion to be sustained it needs fuel, oxygen, and heat. This is called the fire triangle. Every fuel has a temperature at which it will burn rapidly due to its combining with oxygen. Combustion releases more heat, if the temperature is higher then that of the temperature which causes an object to burn then the fire will spread.

Pyrotechnics the Colors

There are two different ways to produce color in fireworks; incandescence and luminescence. Incandesence is light caused by heat as an object grows hotter it glows inferred then red, orange, yellow, and white. Some materials in fireworks with controlled temperatures can be manpulated to glow the right color at the right time. Luminescence also referred to as cold light is light made by a source other than heat. This effect is created when an electron absorbs energy. When that energy is released it is in the form of light. The energy being released dictates the color. This process is generally initated by compounds usually salts. There is a very delicate balance to this process some salts are unstable in certain conditions so they have to be combined with other compounds or used only under special conditions. Desingers also have to be careful not to create to much smoke to overpower the firework. The purer the ingredents the purer the colors, the purest colors have no sodium inpurities. Dr. John Conkling, adjunct professor of chemistry at Washington College and former executive director of the American Pyrotechnics Association says that blue is the hardest color to produce. To read Dr. Conkling's interview with NOVA click on the above picture.

Pyrotechnics the Anatomy

Pyroboy performs

The first step to a pretty night sky is nothing more than some powder. Black powder to be exact. When black powder burns in the air it disappears fairly quickly. However when contained and lit, black powder causes an explosion. This explosion sends a firework hurtling up to 1000 feet in the air. Electrical wires connect the main fuse to a control board when a button is pushed an electrical current ignites the main fuse. The launch tube is three times as long, but has the same diameter as the firework. If the firework does not fit in the launch tube well, the firework can misfire. After mixing ingredinets like the ones listed above, you are left with a huge slab of dough. This is cut in to stars. Some fireworks have fuses timed to make certain stars lit at certain times. These are called time delay fuses. Breaks are where the stars are contained, some fireworks have multiple breaks. A break has to explode for a display to start. The bigger the explosion the bigger the display.

Pyrotechnics safety

Dr. Conkling says that you should always have a sober adult present when shooting off fireworks and he is right. You should not attempt to make fireworks at home and you should follow all directions and safety precautions on the fireworks. You should, of course, be careful when handling fireworks. The band Great White used pyrotechnics in a club for their concert. The club caught on fire and almost 100 people died. Click the link to find out more. http://www.cnn.com/2003/US/Northeast/02/21/deadly.nightclub.fire/

Now that you know how fireworks work make your own display by following the link. http://www.maylin.net/Fireworks.html or click on this link to see a video. http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/nova/fireworks/gall_00.html

Dr. Conkling says that you should always have a sober adult when shooting off fireworks and he is right. You should not attempt to make fireworks at home and you should follow all directions and safety precautions on the fireworks. You should, of course, be careful when handling fireworks. The band Great White used pyrotechnics in a club for their concert. The club caught on fire and almost 100 people died. Click the link to find out more. http://www.cnn.com/2003/US/Northeast/02/21/deadly.nightclub.fire/

Now that you know how fireworks work make your own display by following the link. http://www.maylin.net/Fireworks.html or click on this link to see a video. http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/nova/fireworks/gall_00.html