Wednesday, October 20, 2010

Independence Day Chemistry

Ever wondered why some fireworks burst one color, while others explode and show a completely different color? What is responsible for this observation? Watch this video (shot this past summer) and also the video embedded below from "Science Friday". These will be good resources for answering the questions for your blog response.



If the video above doesn't work, try this link.

  1. Why do some fireworks glow different colors?
  2. What does this have to do with chemical composition, properties, and electrons?
  3. (Optional) What are some of your experiences with July 4 Fireworks?

48 comments:

Bryan Barber said...

1. because there are different kinds of elements in the fireworks.
2. The different properties and elements create different colors

taryn c said...

because they have different properties.
The number of electrons is different from element to element so it reacts differently.
a fire work shot at us at a show in 2007 and exploded under a car. one persons knee was blown up pretty much and a couple other people got burns. the cars windows blew in.

Adriahna D. said...

1.because they are made of different element

2.because it depends on what element is in the firework and each element has different electrons

3.i blew the head off of a GI-JOE doll and we also took the big fire crackers and put them under peoples chairs and scared them really bad

Kevin Moody said...

They glow different colors because of different mixtures of elements.

the electron levels are filled causing a chemical reaction of an explosion. kevin m

MartinLacrecia said...

1.because they burn into different frgaments which means different colors

2.different elements & compounds help burn different colors

Mercdedes Dalles said...

1. They are mixed with different elements and compounds.
2. The elements that firworks are composed of create different colors during reactions.
3. A box of missles fell over and started shooting at my dad.

Adam A said...

1. Fireworks will glow different colors if they are composed of different elements or compounds.

2. Fireworks relate to chemistry because it is separate elements and compounds of elements that create the color in fireworks. Without the elements, we'd shoot a firework and get the normal, boring color of fire.

Katie T. said...

1. chemical reactions, chemstiry, chemical properties
2. the electrons grow to a higher leval, the properties of the elements make the color change.

Hayley H said...

1. Because each element has different chemical compositions, which gives it a different oolor. this is chemisry.
2. the electrons go to a higher level and the compositions help it have different proporties so it has different colors.
3. My mom got hit in the face with a firework. she didnt get hurt but it was funny.

olivia thompson said...

1. Fireworks have different colors because of the elelments that are in them.IF the elements protety has a red glow the firework shall be red.
2.The fireworks glow colors because the eletrons move i ring up as they get exicted by the heat then as they move back the enegry creats the color.
3.When i was 8 a burned myself with a snapit pop early.Then my cousin put a firework in a pop can and it blow up. olivia t

zbarbour said...

1 firework colors glow different colors based on the element or elements that are heated up
2 the different colors depend on things in the elements
3 fireworks on the forth of july a sssswwwweeeeeeeetttt

kolby S said...

They change colors depending on the metals and other elements combined to make them. Different element produce different color. If you combine two you get a mix of the two. When you heat up elements there electrons spread out and become happy. This has to do with chemical properties becasue this changes there propereties because heat it a chemical change

Anonymous said...

Differnet elements and compounds, and the fact that they all have different properties, creates the different colors.
They move differently in each mixture/compound, and they each have their own properties.

Kelsey R.

Breanna T said...

1) It depends on the metals and elements combined in the firework to deside what color it is.
2) When the electrons are heated the move to the outer level and become "happy". The proties change because it changes by chemical change.

Derick N and Imrann G said...

They change colors depending on the different combination of elements. So lets say Copper mixed with Chloride would make a green, but it changes depending on the elements. A chemical changes happens when the fireworks blow up because the elements heat up and react to the heat, producing different colors.

Eric Sanchez said...

1. Fireworks have compound mixt together and that gives its color because they are mixt with diffrent elements.
2. Fireworks work with chemistry because during a atom they gor crazy and they jump to a diffrent level and once they are done they get back.
3. My best 4th of july is when my dad bought this big firework and we lit it and it had so many diffrent color. Another one he bought was good, after the one got done it went on fire because it was excited it was funny.

Sam Denevan said...

Some fireworks glow different colors because of the different properties of the element or compound. It has to do with properties because the colors may very depending on the different properties of the element or compound. You could test this on the 4th of July because there are many fireworks and you could test your experiment with them in the dark and see what different colors they may make.

Adam Klemisch said...

1. Fireworks have different colors because each firework has diffferent elements that react with heat to produce different colors.
2. It has to do with cemical compositons because it is burning and electons heat up and make different colors do to their properties of the element
3. I lost all my eye lashes from a parashute

Casey L said...

1. Fireworks are diffrent colors beacause of the different reactions with different elements.
2. this all has to deal with fireworks because the electrons get excited and jump up then come back down. the properties of elements are what makes the color.
3. 4th of July is always celebrated at my house with friends and family. i think my best memory was this last summer. my neighbors tend to set off the huge fireworks so my friends and i go and jump on my tramp. and watch the fireworks.

Brooke W said...

1) Fireworks are diffrent colors because they are made up of diffrent element either combined together with them chemically or just by thereselves.
2) Well when heat is added the elctrons move out one level. I guess when two or more elements are combined they have a chemical reaction and BAM! YOU HAVE FIREWORKS.
3) Well this past fourth of July we went to our camper and hade it there, don't you just love it when people ride there bikes and its hard enough to see them let alone hear them any way i had lit this one firework and these bikers came by and like i hit them with the firework it was not my fault though they got in the way I also got burned twice by a punk those hurt!

Kristie M said...

1. it has to do with chemical composition, and what it is made of.
2.each element is different, and so every chemical will have a different reaction to heat.
3. my family goes to st. croix lake by the twin cities and watch them over the lake with friends.

tyler hofer said...

1. because some elements mix together and make different colors

2. the certain elements that mix togerther can make different flames and how they act because of there proproties the electrons will get exicited

Abby to the Gail Behm said...

1. Fireworks glow different colors due the the chemical composistion of the elements and compounds that make up the fireworks.

2. The electrons excite making the fireworks go off.

Bethany M. said...

1. They burn different colors because there are different elements being burned.

2. They only burn because of the way they are reacting with each other. When it's heated, the electrons move out an energy level.

Kaylie Letcher said...

1.Because of the different elements that you use. Like Ca, Na. Cause they burn a certain color. And different properties.

2. Cause the properties are different which make the color different.

Tyler said...

Beacause of the different elements and compounds that make up the explosion

The Electrons move really fast and emitt light

Alex B said...

1. they all have metal ions in them like if they were filled with Li the firework would turn red.
2. it has to deal with eletrons because when they blow up the eletron spead apart for a moment then when the eletrons go back down and they give off energy witch become light.

Anonymous said...

I think it was cool to see how people used the elements to make colorful and epic fire works. Fireworks glow different colors because they were made with different elements.Since people use elements like copper to make fireworks they use the elements properties to know what they look like in display.

Anonymous said...

1.) Some Glow different colors because when they are shot up in the air the firework is on fire and the electrons expland out, and when they come back to where they were before they produce a light that differs for the different elements that are in that firework.

2.) What this has to do with the chemical composition, properties and electrons is that the color comes from the chemical composition, or the different elements when they are burnt and when the electrons expand for a moment they must come back to their origanal spot and when they do a light is formed.

Kyle H. said...

1. Fire works burn different colors because the are made of different elements and compounds which burn in a varity of colors.

2. The color that an element burns is a property of it and the electrons are the particles that cause it to burn a different color.

3. My sister's boyfriend got attacked by a fire work. But he was ok.

Elite Ty said...

Fireworks create different colors of explosives by the different elements they used. For example, fireworks that show up red, use different elements/compounds then fireworks that show up blue. Since fireworks use elements and compounds to create colors (which is caused by different chemical compositions, etc.), the properties are different than other fireworks. Also, the direct reason fireworks work as they do, is from electrons expanding from heat, then coming back together and creating light.

christian cool said...

1 different elements.
2 chemical changes, fire in this case, is what causes the reaction.
3 my great aunts house for about 8 hours we launch off rockets every year.

Matthew C. said...

1.Different elements compouds and mixtures.
2.When an element heats up the electrons move out. when they come back in it creates light.

Kahlen Morris said...

1.) when the electrons expand when they start on fire they come back to their origanal spot and when they do the light is formed.

2.) The chemical composition, or the different elements that are used in the firework burn differently when their electrons form back to were they started.

murad ibrahim said...

i thought the video was amazing. if we were sopose to answer the quetions here are they.
1. different elements and compounds make different colors
2.to see if it is chemical changed or physical change.

jschneider said...

1.they glow different colors due to their chemical compinsations.
2.because when certain elements get exposed to heat they get excited and jump to a new electron level and when they go back down they produce a color on our light spectrum

MEGAN H said...

1. They glow different colors because the elements react with each other and make the colors
2. The electrons bounce out for a moment and when they come back down that element explodes into pretty colors

Austin N. said...

firework explode with different colors becauseof the different elements and compounds the make them up.

johnny cLARK said...

1. they glow diffrent colors because of the diffrent compounds in it and elements.
2.because when the electrons fall it perducis a glow after they come back from being bounced out
3. every year we go to my lake cabin and light out fire works.


Johnny C.

Madison T said...

Some fireworks glow differrent colors becaue they are made of different elements and compounds. It has to do with properties because they lose their properties when they combine. One of my experiences were that we were down in Chamberlin, SD and a firework tipped over and we started the beach on fire. But we eventually got it put out. My mom lost her flipflop.

Kyla Snaza said...

1) Some fireworks glow different colors because they are made by different elements.

2) Electrons are what makes the fireworks blow up. The elements and electrons deal with chemical properties and stuff.

Kelli S. said...

Fireworks glow different colors because they are made up of different compounds and elements that have different properties. When they are heated the electrons momentarily move to the outer level and they change colors depending on the compound or element.

Taylor L. said...

1.Fireworks are always different colors because it always depends on the type of elements in the firework because different elments burn different colors.

2.The chemical composition of the elements are the different number of electrons reacting to heat.

3.Some of my experiances with fireworks have really backfired like when I was 8 I had a roman candle that blew up backwords and hit me in the neck ending in 1st degree burns.

Carter said...

1. Because of different elements and their properties. Also, how the electrons move and react to the compound(s) that were made.

2. A compound is made causing a chemical reaction and the electrons move up and down.

3. Going up to the lake with friends and shooting fireworks...and chasing each other around with Roman candles.

Tyler S. said...

Some fireworks make a different colors because of combine substances that creats thease different colors.

The atoms get to a excited level for a little while and thats when the electrons jump up a level of the electron cloud and thats when the colors are formed. like Sodium and chlorid make a orange color.


One time we had two artillery shell shooters right next to eachother and one artillery shell shooter went off before the other so the other artillery shell tipped over and shot at the house and missed my car

Alexis I. said...

Fireworks will glow different colors because of the combination of different elements and substances that create that color.

The electrons jump up a level in the electron cloud causing the atoms to get hot and excited for a limited amount of time and that is when colors appear. Like lithium and Chloride make a green color.

My friend and I had a bag of fireworks sitting near us and a spark from an earlier one came down on the bag and blew up on us!

NRenner said...

1. They glow different colors because of the different elements and compounds they are made of also the movement when the electrons get hot and move creating friction which creates a colored light.
2.It has to do with chemical composition properties and electrons because the chemicals are heated up from a flammability (fire) which then heated the electrons to move into the excitement area an then returning to the protons and compounds when they do this they show a color.

Unknown said...

I am staggered (and frightened) at the number of students that have been a part of firework blunders. Especially since we are heading into the time of year when we have labs that deal with chemical reactions and flammable gases.....

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