Chemistry of Fire(works)

A common chemical reaction is combustion, or burning. As something burns, heat and light are given off. Fire can be devastating, but it can also be spellbinding. These resources help students understand the combustion reaction and also provide insight into how fireworks work.

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On Fire http://www.teachersdomain.org/9-12/sci/phys/matter/onfire/index.html

In this interactive activity from the NOVA web site, learn about the chemical reactions that take place when things burn. MSP full record

The Great Hartford Circus Fire http://acswebcontent.acs.org/education/chemmatters/archive/2005_2_smpissue.pdf

Fire can heat our homes and cook our food, but it can also kill us. It is unforgiving when not properly controlled, and it can spread with overwhelming speed when conditions are favorable. This article from ChemMatters magazine is about an uncontrollable fire in a circus tent that killed 167 people and injured hundreds of others in Hartford, Connecticut, on July 6, 1944. (From American Chemical Society Education.) MSP full record

Igniting Chemistry in Fireworks http://www.teachersdomain.org/resources/phy03/sci/phys/matter/lp_fireworks/index.html

With beautiful colors and controlled explosions, fireworks link directly to fundamental concepts taught in basic chemistry classes. The media resources featured in this lesson for grades 6-12 provide a visually rich way to tie together spectral chemistry, combustion, and the nature of fire. Students watch a video segment and read text about the color of fireworks (particularly useful when following a chemistry lab in which powders of elements are placed over a flame to observe their spectral emission). They also watch a video segment and do an interactive activity on the mechanics of a firework, which leads to optional interactive activities for those wanting a slightly more advanced chemistry lesson involving chemical reactions. They wrap up by viewing video segments of many different types of fireworks and explaining the principles of chemistry and pyrotechnics.

Fireworks http://pubs.acs.org/cen/whatstuff/stuff/7927sci3.html

The history of fireworks, from the discovery of gunpowder in China a thousand years ago to the experiments of modern-day chemists, is recounted in this article. (From What’s That Stuff?) MSP full record

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Copyright June 2007 — The Ohio State University. This material is based upon work supported by the National Science Foundation under Grant No. 0424671. Any opinions, findings, and conclusions or recommendations expressed in this material are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily reflect the views of the National Science Foundation.

This work is licensed under a Creative Commons License.