Fireworks owe their color to very specific compounds

Jul 6, 2015 09:07 GMT  ·  By

As the US celebrated its Independence Day over the weekend, hundreds of fireworks lit up the sky. Sure, most of these light displays came in red, white and blue, but there were also explosions in shades of yellow, green, orange, purple, white and even silver. 

In a recent video, brainiacs with the American Chemical Society explain how the fireworks we set ablaze whenever there's something worth celebrating get their stunning colors. Long story short, it all boils down to the chemical compounds used to make them.

“Without chemistry, you couldn't have the burning mixtures. Without the burning mixtures, you wouldn't have fireworks,” says scientist John Conkling, a chemistry professor at Washington College.

Thus, red fireworks are made from strontium salts. Orange, yellow, green and blue ones, on the other hand, are made from calcium, sodium, barium and copper salts, respectively. As for silver and white fireworks, their list of ingredients includes elements like magnesium and aluminum.

Interestingly, researchers have also figured out a way to create purple fireworks. To obtain such light displays, all one has to do is mix elements for the colors blue and red, i.e. copper and strontium.

If you can afford a teeny tiny break from your busy schedule, check out the video below to learn more about how fireworks are made and the chemistry behind them.