That dust is made of metals such as aluminum iron steel zinc or magnesium. The resulting reaction products or exhaust gases.

How Do Fireworks Get Their Colors Human World Earthsky

A variety of chemicals can be added to create colors.

How do they make fireworks. Expose the covered end to a flame to ignite the sparkler. Aerial fireworks are usually made as a shell that has four parts. The bright sparks you see are usually burning bits of dust.

Fireworks that start as one color and blossom into others with forked or undulating animation at the tips are made with alternating round golden pellets at the shell s core with crimson. Don t use a lighter or match to light the sparkler or you may burn your hand. Instead sparklers make bright sparkly light for about a minute.

They are mixed with gunpowder in a shell and then wrapped. Hold the uncovered end of the stick or wire as the handle. Lighting the fuse starts a combustion reaction with the gunpowder and the oxidized potassium nitrate.

Each firework contains small balls of explosives known as stars that are responsible for the colorful light displays seen in the sky. The metal flakes heat up until they are incandescent and shine brightly or at a high enough temperature actually burn. Place the opposite end of the sparkler into an open flame and wait for the mixture to ignite.

Now the chemistry of fireworks can begin. It is very common for fireworks to contain aluminum iron steel zinc or magnesium dust in order to create bright shimmering sparks.