To make these loud explosions, which are usually accompanied by a bright white flash, firework manufacturers use mixtures of perchlorate, a different kind of explosive than black powder.

After the fireworks show, a stampede occurred as people tried to leave what today is the Place de la Concorde, and approximately 800 people were killed. Historians believe that black powder ...

The chemistry of a fireworks show is a tried and true sequence of events. First, a base of black powder ignites to shoot the firework into the sky, and lights a fuse on fire. Once the firework is ...