The History of Fireworks
If you think fireworks are as American as cheddar apple pie, think again.
The History of Fireworks
The Chinese invented Fireworks thousands of years ago.
The first incarnation of fireworks were bamboo stalks accidentally left over dry coals until they exploded.
Between 600–900 CE, Chinese alchemists accidentally mixed saltpetre (or potassium nitrate) with sulphur and charcoal.
This accident became the recipe for gunpowder, which would turn out to be quite useful, and destructive.
Chemists took their discovery and stuffed it into bamboo tubes, creating makeshift sparklers.
The military eagerly waited on the sidelines to use this new explosive chemical to their advantage.
Creative military minds ran wild designing gunpowder catapults and wrapping bamboo sparklers around arrows to fire at enemies.
Italian Pyrotechnics Invent Shells
Most modern fireworks use arial shells resembling ice-cream cones.
Italian pyrotechnics developed arial shells in the 1830s, with gelato cones being a key inspiration.
Kidding, of course.
Shells have cone bottoms, while the scoop contains chemicals needed to produce colour and a bursting charge.
Specific chemicals or elements create certain colours.
3 Key Components in Fireworks
A firework needs 3 components: An oxidizer, a fuel, and a chemical mixture to produce the colour.
The oxidizer breaks chemical bonds in the fuel releasing all the energy stored in those bonds.
To ignite a reaction, all you need is fire, a fuse, or a flame.
The whistling sound associated with fireworks comes from each layer of chemicals burning one at a time.
How Do Fireworks Make Shapes?
To create shape, stars are arranged on a piece of cardboard in a desired configuration.
If stars are in a heart shaped pattern on the cardboard, they will explode into a heart in the sky.
American pyrotechnics used the first shaped fireworks in Washington DC.
Fireworks are no longer a go to war weapon, however they’re good for celebrations, with Americans first using them to celebrate Independence Day in 1777.
