1. Fireworks By: Davis Wright, Jason Deveau, William Ragsdale, and Ben Hopton

2. History  Legend has the first firework was made when a Chinese cook accidentally knocked saltpeter, an ingredient of gunpowder, into a flame. This produced an interesting flame.  The Chinese found a mixture of gunpowder found explode if the mixture was encased in bamboo and ignited.  One of the earliest forms of fireworks are firecrackers, which date back to the Song dynasty.  They were bamboo shoots filled with gunpowder.  While color and light are seen as the most impressive feature of fireworks today, early fireworks were valued for the loud noise they made as they were believed to scare away evil spirits.  After firecrackers came rockets. The Chinese achieved this by using a mixture of gunpowder to propel the rocket upwards. In contrast to firecrackers, rockets had a shell of hand-carved wood.  Today, various compounds are used to give fireworks designer colors. Rockets are still the most used form today, but now they are commonly launched with air rather than gunpowder. The shells in big displays normally have an electric timer that detonates the rocket.

3. How They Work  The Stick holds the firework upright and makes sure it flies straight.  The Fuse starts the main part of the firework that contains the colorful explosive material.  The Charge blasts the firework up into the sky  The Effects contain the colorful materials, often called “stars” which comprise the colorful explosions.  The Head contains the Effects and ensures the firework remains aerodynamic.

4. Diagram

5. The Different Types  Firecracker  Simple firework that is used to create a single loud noise  Rockets  Self-propelled firework that is used to create an effect above the ground  Mortars  Launches a shell containing all of the “stars” for the firework  Roman Candles  Contains a small amount of stars and propellant for them. Essentially it is a smaller, handheld mortar.  Fountains  Sits on the ground and produces a large amount of sparks that a launched into the air.