I got to thinking today, “I’ll be there’s a geology story behind fireworks. Betcha I can be lazy and link to the people who’ve already written it.” And lo, it was so. I found you some great articles: explanations of the science (including geology!) of fireworks for both kids and adults, plus a neat-o experiment you can do cheaply, easily and safely your own self. How cool is that? Setting things on fire: almost always awesome.
I also found you some gorgeous photos courtesy of folks on Flickr. Here’s the ones I couldn’t fit, but were too beautiful to pass up. Enjoy!
I find the stuff about colours especially fascinating, what with the chemistry angle. Back in high school I wrote a paper on stained glass, which turned out a heck of a lot more interesting precisely for the chemistry behind the colours. I’d chosen the topic because it was easy and a bit different, but I ended up learning far more than I’d expected.
Happy July 4th!