Weather Wednesday: The Science of Fireworks!
LANSING, Mich. (WLNS) — Over the past few days you've probably seen and heard fireworks popping up all over the place. That's because the Fourth of July is coming up tomorrow and you probably will continue to hear them for the rest of the week. Did you know that the science behind fireworks is related to simple chemistry and that there are specific weather conditions needed for perfect fireworks viewing? Well, this week's weather Wednesday will be covering that and more!
Let's go back to high school for a second, remember your chemistry and physics class where you learned about elements and wavelengths of light? Well, that same science is used in fireworks. When different elements are heated, they release different wavelengths of light that appear as various colors to our eyes.
Take fireworks for example, a firework is created with a mixture of black powder and other elements like barium, copper, and even titanium that when launched into the sky will help give the bright beautiful colors we see in the sky on the fourth. Depending on what element was inside, that firework goes into what color you see. Here are just a few of those colors that light up the sky on the holidays.
Greys and whites are a combination of titanium, zirconium, and magnesium, Strontium gives off a deep red color, copper produces bright vibrant blues, barium gives off a green color and sodium gives us yellow. Just like we mix two primary colors like red and blue to get purple you can mix the elements that make the blue and red to get a purple color so copper and strontium make that purply lavender shade, and strontium and sodium can give us an orange color.
Just as chemistry and physics are important to the production of fireworks you also need the right meteorological conditions to keep in mind when launching fireworks too. Wind, temperatures, humidity, and more all should be considered when using fireworks as too much or too little could have positive or negative effects on both the fireworks and the viewers.
We all know that rain and fireworks don't always mix but a drizzle before a firework event helps keep the chances of a grass fire from starting. Heavy rains can cause the fuse of the fireworks to become wet and unusable. Humidity can also put a damper on fireworks too, high humidity can make the colors appear less vibrant and dull whereas low humidity makes it light and bright!
Strong winds can cause the spark from fireworks into dry grass or bushes which could start a wildfire if drought conditions are in the area, it also could cause the tube to tip over and cause the fireworks to launch right at viewers or even into the grasslands around the fireworks! Calm winds are preferred because they can move smoke away from the fireworks and help the visibility of the show.
Fireworks need that Goldilocks type of condition where it's not too hot, not too windy, and not too humid to launch without any negative effects. So, fingers crossed we have calm winds, low humidity, clear skies, and no rain in the forecast for tomorrow!
Now that you know the science behind fireworks and what weather conditions are needed, go out and shoot your pictures and send them our way!
