Group+7

The History Of Fireworks media type="youtube" key="UzL4L_FpLvE&hl=en&fs=1" height="344" width="425"

Fireworks originated in China some 2,000 years ago. They were discovered or invented by accident by a Chinese cook working in a field kitchen who happened to mix charcoal, sulphur and saltpeter. A Chinese monk named Li Tian, who lived near the city of Liu Yang in Hunan Province, is credited with the invention of firecrackers about 1,000 years ago. The Chinese people celebrate the invention of the firecracker every April 18 by offering sacrifices to Li Tian. Chinese alchemists eventually refined the recipie for fireworks: 75% potassium nitrate, 15%charcoal and 10% sulfur. This recipie was then brought to Italy by Marco Polo. In the 1830's pyrotechnicians replaced the potassium nitrate with potassium chlorate. this replacement sped up the rate at which oxygen was delivered. This raised the temperature of the combustion allowing different chemicals to burn in the mixture. Because new chemicals could be burned, new and more intese colors could be created. One color used was blue. The blue color of the firework is created by adding copper oxychloride to the firework recipie. Other colors for fireworks are: Silver - aluminum, titanium or magnesium Red - lithium carbonate Green - barium chloride Yellow - sodium nitrate

To see the different effects chemicals have on fireworks go to: http://chemistry.about.com/library/weekly/blfireworks.htm

[|more info here]

information came from http://chemistry.about.com/od/historyofchemistry/a/fireworkhistory.htm http://www.fireworks.com/safety/fireworks-history.asp http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/nova/transcripts/2903_firework.html and http://chemistry.about.com/od/fireworkspyrotechnics/a/fireworkcolors.htm