Fireworks on a dark night are lovely. But how much more lovely would they be if you knew the science behind all those pretty explosions in the sky — and could watch a lab demonstration of that science in action?
In this video from The American Chemical Society, they look at just what kinds of reactions go into your annual fireworks display, and what chemicals they use to get the desired color effects. But this is chemistry, folks, and what would all that science be without a little lab demonstration? Which is why they also pop under the fume hood to do an up-close demonstration of just how those colors ignite.
Are you checking out some fireworks yourself tonight (hopefully from outside of the lab)? Tell us about it in the comments!
