The chemistry behind fireworks

In this set of activities, students develop and apply their understanding of a range of chemical ideas in a familiar context to learn about the chemistry behind fireworks. Suitable for 11–16 year olds, activities range from practical experiments to a directed activity related to text (DART). Stimulate and engage your students while exploring:

• The chemical composition of fireworks
• How fireworks produce different colours and effects
• How fireworks are made
• The history of blackpowder (gunpowder) production

Each activity features instructions for students as well as editable worksheets and resources available for download.

1. What is a firework?

Summary

Students conduct a simple experiment using party poppers and sparklers to review what fireworks are while observing some of the effects they produce. After filling in a table with their observations, students answer questions to explore how these simple fireworks work, drawing out some common features to explain what a firework is.

The ‘What is a firework?’ teacher sheet includes full kit list, procedure and expected observations.

Note

Read our standard health and safety guidance.

2. What is in a firework?

Summary

Students conduct an experiment to find out what happens when samples of chemicals commonly found in fireworks are heated over a Bunsen flame. There are different possible methods for this, including using soaked wooden splints or nichrome wire. Flame tests using metal salts outlines three methods with student and teacher notes for each.

The worksheet features a results table for students to observe the colour of the flames produced, as well as two questions to develop explanations for what they saw.

The student experiment can also be adapted for use as a teacher demonstration, or you can use this flame colours demonstration as an alternative. The rainbow flame demonstration provides an even more spectacular demonstration, including a video and details of how to run this infamous demonstration safely.

Note

Read our standard health and safety guidance.

3. Chemical elements in fireworks

Summary

Students complete a table listing the chemical elements in fireworks and their effects, adding the missing element names and symbols. They then use this information to select the chemical elements that would need to be added to a firework to create specific colours, before looking at an image of a firework exploding to identify the elements it contained.

4. Making blackpowder

Summary

Students read a short text about how blackpowder (gunpowder) would once have been made at the Royal Gunpowder Mills in north London. The text is a fictional first-person account, written from the perspective of a girl working at the factory in 1859 (for unfamiliar terms in the text, see the ‘Key words’ handout).

Students respond to what they have read by answering a series of questions reflecting on the processes, chemicals and reactions involved, as well as the unpleasant working conditions that factory workers endured.

For students at the appropriate level, the questions include opportunities to practise writing chemical equations.

5. Additional resources

• To add careers context to your lesson, you could use this person profile for Darryl Flemming (displays manager at Kimbolton Fireworks).
• Find out more about firing fireworks with the Did you know about firing fireworks? handout.
• Explore these video demonstrations for a number of chemicals involved in making fireworks.
• Try the howling/screaming jelly baby demonstration.