1 00:00:04,400 --> 00:00:07,800 Speaker 1: Welcome to tech Stuff, a production from I Heart Radio 2 00:00:11,840 --> 00:00:15,480 Speaker 1: either and Welcome to tech Stuff. I'm your host, Jonathan Strickland. 3 00:00:15,480 --> 00:00:17,880 Speaker 1: I'm an executive producer with I Heart Radio and how 4 00:00:17,920 --> 00:00:22,520 Speaker 1: the tech are you Today? We are going to listen 5 00:00:22,760 --> 00:00:27,680 Speaker 1: to the second part of my two part series on fireworks, 6 00:00:27,760 --> 00:00:30,640 Speaker 1: or our two part series, I should say. It's a 7 00:00:30,640 --> 00:00:34,240 Speaker 1: different era of tech stuff we're talking about here. And um, yeah, 8 00:00:34,320 --> 00:00:37,280 Speaker 1: we had part one yesterday because it was fourth of July, 9 00:00:38,040 --> 00:00:43,360 Speaker 1: and I just figured we'd run both parts. So sit back, relax, 10 00:00:43,600 --> 00:00:49,320 Speaker 1: and enjoy this second part about how fireworks work. As 11 00:00:49,320 --> 00:00:54,080 Speaker 1: of about the Italian Renaissance, people started adding different metals 12 00:00:54,280 --> 00:00:57,960 Speaker 1: into the gunpowder to make it burn in different colors, 13 00:00:58,080 --> 00:01:01,000 Speaker 1: and I suspect that this was tie into the fact 14 00:01:01,040 --> 00:01:04,080 Speaker 1: that also around the Italian Renaissance, people were starting to 15 00:01:04,120 --> 00:01:07,200 Speaker 1: make brilliantly colored paints of many different kinds, and the 16 00:01:07,280 --> 00:01:09,920 Speaker 1: same the same metal compounds that were being used for 17 00:01:09,920 --> 00:01:14,680 Speaker 1: those paints, I'm guessing is what got parted over into fireworks. Absolutely. Yeah. 18 00:01:14,680 --> 00:01:16,440 Speaker 1: They also found, you know, if you were able to 19 00:01:16,480 --> 00:01:19,399 Speaker 1: get a metallic salt and say burn it, it would 20 00:01:19,400 --> 00:01:22,399 Speaker 1: burn with a particular color of flame, so you would 21 00:01:22,400 --> 00:01:25,360 Speaker 1: get a flame that would be green or blue or 22 00:01:25,360 --> 00:01:28,520 Speaker 1: whatever based upon the metallic salts that were in that mixture. 23 00:01:29,160 --> 00:01:33,440 Speaker 1: And that's when they said, hey, this this firecracker stuff. 24 00:01:33,800 --> 00:01:35,800 Speaker 1: If we were to put this in combination with the 25 00:01:35,800 --> 00:01:38,760 Speaker 1: firecracker stuff, we'd get these different colors of light that 26 00:01:38,800 --> 00:01:43,080 Speaker 1: would go off because of the explosion could ignite a 27 00:01:43,240 --> 00:01:46,800 Speaker 1: secondary charge that would have a mixture of these metallic 28 00:01:46,800 --> 00:01:49,840 Speaker 1: salts in them. So we just mixed together the right way, 29 00:01:49,880 --> 00:01:52,000 Speaker 1: we get the right color. Now, the important thing to 30 00:01:52,040 --> 00:01:55,040 Speaker 1: remember is that these ingredients they don't change the chemical 31 00:01:55,080 --> 00:01:58,520 Speaker 1: reaction of the explosion itself. It's more like adding a 32 00:01:58,560 --> 00:02:02,200 Speaker 1: little flavor. So your basic ingredient is still the same. 33 00:02:02,560 --> 00:02:05,240 Speaker 1: It's that black powder, but it's what you mix with 34 00:02:05,280 --> 00:02:08,320 Speaker 1: it that gives you the bright, pretty colors. Right, And 35 00:02:08,360 --> 00:02:12,360 Speaker 1: to explain what creates those bright pretty colors, we need 36 00:02:12,400 --> 00:02:15,480 Speaker 1: to get down to an atomic level of how photons 37 00:02:15,560 --> 00:02:20,360 Speaker 1: are created, yeah, or not well, given off given off? Yeah. Yeah. 38 00:02:20,400 --> 00:02:22,920 Speaker 1: So if you have an atom, one of the things 39 00:02:22,960 --> 00:02:25,800 Speaker 1: that one of the sub atomic particles that make up 40 00:02:25,800 --> 00:02:28,519 Speaker 1: that atom is the electron. Right, you have electrons that 41 00:02:28,600 --> 00:02:31,919 Speaker 1: surround the new trol the nucleus with neutrons and protons, 42 00:02:32,120 --> 00:02:35,760 Speaker 1: or in the case of hydrogen, just proton, and if 43 00:02:35,760 --> 00:02:38,160 Speaker 1: you were to add energy to that atom, you would 44 00:02:38,200 --> 00:02:40,840 Speaker 1: excite the electron. And I don't mean it'd be like, oh, 45 00:02:40,919 --> 00:02:43,600 Speaker 1: I cannot wait until of interest to age of ultron 46 00:02:43,639 --> 00:02:45,799 Speaker 1: comes out. Actually that's kind of I imagine that the 47 00:02:45,880 --> 00:02:47,880 Speaker 1: dance that the electron does is very much like that 48 00:02:47,960 --> 00:02:50,720 Speaker 1: dance that I do. Yeah, the little the little little 49 00:02:50,840 --> 00:02:53,880 Speaker 1: arms are are at shoulder height and and clinched in 50 00:02:53,919 --> 00:02:55,880 Speaker 1: fists if you want to envision it, and then you 51 00:02:55,960 --> 00:02:59,359 Speaker 1: just kind of wiggle a little bit. So these electrons, Yeah, 52 00:02:59,360 --> 00:03:02,320 Speaker 1: they get excite did from their normal energy state, which 53 00:03:02,360 --> 00:03:04,320 Speaker 1: is called the ground state. That's the one that they 54 00:03:04,440 --> 00:03:08,519 Speaker 1: naturally inhabit, and they're just hanging out exactly. So, so 55 00:03:08,680 --> 00:03:12,960 Speaker 1: that excited state will kind of push the electron further 56 00:03:13,040 --> 00:03:16,520 Speaker 1: out athletes. Yeah. So the thing is this is not 57 00:03:16,800 --> 00:03:20,680 Speaker 1: sustainable forever. If you take the energy source away, then 58 00:03:20,680 --> 00:03:24,040 Speaker 1: the electron will gradually come back down to its ground state, 59 00:03:24,040 --> 00:03:26,440 Speaker 1: but it has to give off all that energy it 60 00:03:26,520 --> 00:03:29,520 Speaker 1: accepted in the process, all right, So when it snaps back, 61 00:03:29,639 --> 00:03:32,400 Speaker 1: it gives off energy in the form of a photon, right, 62 00:03:32,760 --> 00:03:36,240 Speaker 1: and depending upon the element, you will get a different 63 00:03:36,320 --> 00:03:40,640 Speaker 1: color of light, a different a different wavelength of photon exactly. Yeah, 64 00:03:40,680 --> 00:03:43,160 Speaker 1: the photons light is dependent upon its wavelength and the 65 00:03:43,160 --> 00:03:47,000 Speaker 1: amount of energy that it has equals the color that 66 00:03:47,360 --> 00:03:49,839 Speaker 1: you see. Yeah. So, and and the thing is, once 67 00:03:49,880 --> 00:03:54,040 Speaker 1: you know which elements are generating a certain color, it's 68 00:03:54,040 --> 00:03:56,960 Speaker 1: going to be that way all the time. It's pretty dependable. Yeah. 69 00:03:57,120 --> 00:04:01,040 Speaker 1: So we have a list of color and a list 70 00:04:01,200 --> 00:04:04,800 Speaker 1: of the elements the metallic salts that are commonly used 71 00:04:04,840 --> 00:04:08,560 Speaker 1: to create said colors in your typical fireworks display. So 72 00:04:08,840 --> 00:04:11,760 Speaker 1: we're going to alternate describing these. Do you want me 73 00:04:11,760 --> 00:04:15,680 Speaker 1: to go first? It's the longest list, So all right, 74 00:04:15,760 --> 00:04:17,960 Speaker 1: here we go. All right, So for the color, we're going, 75 00:04:18,040 --> 00:04:20,680 Speaker 1: by the way, in the order of roy G BIV. 76 00:04:21,040 --> 00:04:26,000 Speaker 1: Technically we're doing roy g bit because because indigo actually 77 00:04:26,000 --> 00:04:29,119 Speaker 1: gets turned into indigo and violent get turned into purple. Also, 78 00:04:29,160 --> 00:04:31,960 Speaker 1: I guess it's technically roy g bits because we have 79 00:04:31,960 --> 00:04:34,120 Speaker 1: an S at the end. All right, fair enough, here 80 00:04:34,120 --> 00:04:36,880 Speaker 1: we go, starting off red. To create the color red, 81 00:04:37,279 --> 00:04:41,560 Speaker 1: you would typically add metallic salts such as strontium salts, 82 00:04:41,760 --> 00:04:46,560 Speaker 1: lithium salts, lithium carbonate, or strontium carbonate, which creates a 83 00:04:46,680 --> 00:04:50,920 Speaker 1: very bright red. So the again, depending upon which ones 84 00:04:51,000 --> 00:04:54,240 Speaker 1: you use, you get different hues of whatever color you're 85 00:04:54,279 --> 00:04:58,799 Speaker 1: looking at. Sure, orange you've got calcium salts or calcium chloride. 86 00:04:59,160 --> 00:05:03,320 Speaker 1: Yellow you have sodium salts or sodium chloride. Green can 87 00:05:03,400 --> 00:05:08,760 Speaker 1: be barium compounds plus a chlorine producer, or barium chloride. Yep. 88 00:05:09,160 --> 00:05:12,159 Speaker 1: Blue would be copper compounds plus a chlorine producer you're 89 00:05:12,160 --> 00:05:16,640 Speaker 1: probably noticing some trends here, or copper chloride. Purple can 90 00:05:16,680 --> 00:05:19,600 Speaker 1: be a mixture of blue and red compounds, so so 91 00:05:19,720 --> 00:05:23,039 Speaker 1: like strawntium and copper. And then you have silver, which 92 00:05:23,200 --> 00:05:26,719 Speaker 1: is essentially something like aluminium, titanium or magnesium that's just 93 00:05:26,880 --> 00:05:30,800 Speaker 1: burning and those things burn really super bright. That's what 94 00:05:30,880 --> 00:05:37,120 Speaker 1: gives fireworks there their silvery sparkly look. Yeah, so those 95 00:05:37,160 --> 00:05:41,040 Speaker 1: are your basic ingredients. So how do we end up 96 00:05:41,120 --> 00:05:43,560 Speaker 1: with the starburst patterns? I mean, obviously, if you just 97 00:05:43,680 --> 00:05:47,760 Speaker 1: had an explosive with just these metallic salts mixed willy 98 00:05:47,880 --> 00:05:50,400 Speaker 1: nilly in there and it exploded, it would just be 99 00:05:50,720 --> 00:05:54,080 Speaker 1: a big, massive light in different colors. But we see 100 00:05:54,120 --> 00:05:57,240 Speaker 1: these beautiful starburst patterns that come out. So what is 101 00:05:57,279 --> 00:06:01,400 Speaker 1: it that causes that. Well, it's all in the actual 102 00:06:02,040 --> 00:06:07,080 Speaker 1: manufacture and design, the layout design of right. Yeah, it's 103 00:06:07,120 --> 00:06:11,039 Speaker 1: it's how you have uh situated the various metallic salts 104 00:06:11,040 --> 00:06:12,839 Speaker 1: and you put them well. Well, okay, so so we 105 00:06:12,920 --> 00:06:15,480 Speaker 1: mentioned we mentioned at the end of the last episode 106 00:06:15,480 --> 00:06:18,560 Speaker 1: that the basic let's run down again, the basic way 107 00:06:18,600 --> 00:06:21,000 Speaker 1: that a firework is composed. Sure, okay, So if you 108 00:06:21,040 --> 00:06:24,440 Speaker 1: were looking at a firework from top to bottom, if 109 00:06:24,480 --> 00:06:27,200 Speaker 1: you cut one right in half. Yeah, so the yeah, 110 00:06:27,320 --> 00:06:28,640 Speaker 1: if you cut of right in half, you would see 111 00:06:28,640 --> 00:06:30,720 Speaker 1: that in the center is a burst charge. That's that's 112 00:06:30,800 --> 00:06:34,800 Speaker 1: your your black powder that's designed to push everything outward 113 00:06:35,279 --> 00:06:38,400 Speaker 1: in uh, in whatever formation you happen to have. And 114 00:06:38,400 --> 00:06:40,520 Speaker 1: then surrounding that, you're going to have some kind of 115 00:06:40,520 --> 00:06:43,960 Speaker 1: a clay or or other material that's holding what's called 116 00:06:44,000 --> 00:06:46,840 Speaker 1: in the industry stars. Yeah, this is the metallic salts 117 00:06:46,880 --> 00:06:49,279 Speaker 1: that are placed in And these these stars are small, 118 00:06:49,360 --> 00:06:51,880 Speaker 1: they're like three or four centimeters across, so they look 119 00:06:51,920 --> 00:06:54,880 Speaker 1: like pellets, and the pellets can be put around. There's 120 00:06:54,880 --> 00:06:57,120 Speaker 1: also black powder around those, so it can really project 121 00:06:57,120 --> 00:07:00,159 Speaker 1: them out and also ignite them so that they burn properly. 122 00:07:00,720 --> 00:07:05,600 Speaker 1: Now you've got these layouts that will determine exactly what 123 00:07:05,680 --> 00:07:08,000 Speaker 1: kind of effect you'll have. It's also the shape of 124 00:07:08,040 --> 00:07:12,160 Speaker 1: the projectile shell itself, but really it's the layout of 125 00:07:12,160 --> 00:07:14,080 Speaker 1: those those stars. If you put the stars in a 126 00:07:14,160 --> 00:07:18,080 Speaker 1: really tight circle around this this uh, this burst charge, 127 00:07:18,400 --> 00:07:20,520 Speaker 1: then when the fireworks goes off, you're going to get 128 00:07:20,520 --> 00:07:24,400 Speaker 1: a perfect circle that expands outward as these metallic salts 129 00:07:24,440 --> 00:07:28,440 Speaker 1: ignite and fly outward. And the cool thing is that 130 00:07:28,560 --> 00:07:31,760 Speaker 1: a lot of these stars they have it where there 131 00:07:31,800 --> 00:07:35,040 Speaker 1: it's a three sixty degree thing. But because of the 132 00:07:35,080 --> 00:07:38,800 Speaker 1: way we perceive fireworks, it looks to us more like 133 00:07:38,840 --> 00:07:41,440 Speaker 1: a two dimensional circle that expands out, but it's actually 134 00:07:41,440 --> 00:07:45,560 Speaker 1: going out in all directions. It's a true explosion. Uh. 135 00:07:45,600 --> 00:07:47,280 Speaker 1: If you were somehow able to be in the middle 136 00:07:47,320 --> 00:07:50,000 Speaker 1: of one. For example, if you were I don't know, 137 00:07:50,120 --> 00:07:52,800 Speaker 1: to fly a drone with a video camera on it 138 00:07:52,840 --> 00:07:55,800 Speaker 1: into a fireworks display, which happened this year, then you 139 00:07:55,840 --> 00:07:57,800 Speaker 1: would be able to see that it explodes outward in 140 00:07:57,840 --> 00:08:01,480 Speaker 1: all directions, not just in a two dimensional circle, which 141 00:08:01,600 --> 00:08:05,480 Speaker 1: is pretty cool. Uh. At any rate, you end up 142 00:08:05,520 --> 00:08:08,680 Speaker 1: mixing those metallic salts with an oxidizer or reducing agent, 143 00:08:08,720 --> 00:08:12,320 Speaker 1: which is also a fuel, oxidizers and reducers work together 144 00:08:12,400 --> 00:08:15,280 Speaker 1: to create the Bernie Bernie, and then also a binder 145 00:08:15,320 --> 00:08:18,840 Speaker 1: which holds all the stuff together. Now, the oxidizers and 146 00:08:18,880 --> 00:08:22,280 Speaker 1: the stars aren't usually potassium nitrate like you would find 147 00:08:22,280 --> 00:08:25,720 Speaker 1: a black powder, because those oxidizers don't allow for high 148 00:08:25,800 --> 00:08:29,320 Speaker 1: temperatures that are needed to produce the chemical reactions necessary 149 00:08:29,360 --> 00:08:32,400 Speaker 1: for the different colors. In other words, potassium nitrate doesn't 150 00:08:32,480 --> 00:08:36,440 Speaker 1: burn hot enough to ignite those metallic salts, so we 151 00:08:36,520 --> 00:08:39,480 Speaker 1: usually end up going with something like potassium chlorate, which 152 00:08:39,480 --> 00:08:42,440 Speaker 1: we mentioned in the previous episode, creates these more even 153 00:08:42,480 --> 00:08:47,600 Speaker 1: more spectacular explosions or combustions. Uh just it burns even 154 00:08:47,640 --> 00:08:51,840 Speaker 1: faster than regular black powder does, making it much more dangerous. 155 00:08:51,840 --> 00:08:54,400 Speaker 1: But that's what you need in order to generate these colors. 156 00:08:54,440 --> 00:08:57,120 Speaker 1: Although again also that we mentioned in the last episode, 157 00:08:57,440 --> 00:09:00,760 Speaker 1: people are looking at alternatives because potassium chlorate is not 158 00:09:00,880 --> 00:09:03,680 Speaker 1: the best thing in the world to get in the environment. 159 00:09:03,720 --> 00:09:06,360 Speaker 1: Once it has combusted, you get chloride for one thing, 160 00:09:07,040 --> 00:09:09,520 Speaker 1: not a good stuff, but you do get those more 161 00:09:09,559 --> 00:09:13,840 Speaker 1: intense reactions, which allows the the starbursts to ignite and 162 00:09:13,880 --> 00:09:18,840 Speaker 1: fly outward. We're interrupting this episode because we're about to 163 00:09:18,880 --> 00:09:21,560 Speaker 1: take a break for some messages will be right back. 164 00:09:29,440 --> 00:09:32,000 Speaker 1: So you would typically have lots and lots of these 165 00:09:32,000 --> 00:09:35,439 Speaker 1: stars packed into a single firework and you place the 166 00:09:35,520 --> 00:09:39,199 Speaker 1: meticulously inside the rocket. And by meticulously I mean this 167 00:09:39,280 --> 00:09:43,679 Speaker 1: is done by hand. People hand make these fireworks so 168 00:09:43,720 --> 00:09:48,520 Speaker 1: that the patterns are exact. They will place the stars strategically. Uh, 169 00:09:48,559 --> 00:09:50,439 Speaker 1: this is how you are able to get something like 170 00:09:50,480 --> 00:09:53,400 Speaker 1: a smiley face effect because it's it's it's all based 171 00:09:53,400 --> 00:09:56,240 Speaker 1: on physics. You know that you know exactly how far 172 00:09:56,320 --> 00:09:58,760 Speaker 1: something's gonna fly based upon the amount of black powder 173 00:09:58,800 --> 00:10:02,240 Speaker 1: in there, and it's or orientation within the firework itself. 174 00:10:02,480 --> 00:10:05,160 Speaker 1: So there's nothing special in the sense of there's no 175 00:10:05,200 --> 00:10:09,080 Speaker 1: special tech that makes this heart shape or this smiley face. 176 00:10:09,440 --> 00:10:12,360 Speaker 1: It's all in how those stars are right in there. 177 00:10:12,520 --> 00:10:17,440 Speaker 1: It's very careful chemistry and mixing and physics. Yeah, physics 178 00:10:17,440 --> 00:10:19,120 Speaker 1: does the rest for you, as if you've done your 179 00:10:19,200 --> 00:10:22,360 Speaker 1: job correctly in the design of the physical firework. Physics 180 00:10:22,400 --> 00:10:24,560 Speaker 1: takes care of the rest. It'll just make stuff go 181 00:10:24,600 --> 00:10:26,600 Speaker 1: boom and it'll fly the way it's supposed to fly 182 00:10:27,040 --> 00:10:28,920 Speaker 1: based upon where you put it. And I'm sure machines 183 00:10:28,960 --> 00:10:32,360 Speaker 1: could could even more precisely than humans create these mixtures 184 00:10:32,480 --> 00:10:34,720 Speaker 1: and put them down in But the thing is that 185 00:10:34,800 --> 00:10:37,520 Speaker 1: machines tend to get a little bit warm and sparky 186 00:10:37,520 --> 00:10:40,240 Speaker 1: while they're doing their things, so overall it's a lot. 187 00:10:40,280 --> 00:10:42,720 Speaker 1: I mean, my hand is way less sparky than most 188 00:10:42,760 --> 00:10:45,319 Speaker 1: machines that I know. Yeah, so also get rid of 189 00:10:45,360 --> 00:10:48,360 Speaker 1: that stack electricity before you go in there. But see, 190 00:10:48,360 --> 00:10:50,320 Speaker 1: one thing you could do is you could use computer 191 00:10:50,360 --> 00:10:53,400 Speaker 1: programs to help you figure out what's the ideal layout. 192 00:10:53,720 --> 00:10:56,880 Speaker 1: I'm sure, I'm sure that those algorithms exist. Yes, yeah, 193 00:10:56,960 --> 00:10:59,439 Speaker 1: they do. Where you can actually you have all because 194 00:10:59,640 --> 00:11:02,520 Speaker 1: the law of physics are pretty consistent. You know, we 195 00:11:02,600 --> 00:11:05,360 Speaker 1: don't generally have our laws turned upside down from one 196 00:11:05,440 --> 00:11:07,679 Speaker 1: day to the next. As we'll talk about in the 197 00:11:07,760 --> 00:11:11,800 Speaker 1: next section. There are some factors that can cause a 198 00:11:11,800 --> 00:11:16,720 Speaker 1: little bit of havoc. Weather, humidity, all that kind of stuff. Pressure, 199 00:11:16,760 --> 00:11:21,040 Speaker 1: I'm sure. So looking at a rocket completely in cross section, 200 00:11:21,080 --> 00:11:23,800 Speaker 1: let's say you're cutting it in half long ways, not 201 00:11:23,800 --> 00:11:26,640 Speaker 1: not horizontally, so vertically, uh, and you're looking at it 202 00:11:26,720 --> 00:11:29,439 Speaker 1: from top to bottom, here's what you would have. You 203 00:11:29,480 --> 00:11:33,760 Speaker 1: would have a one main fuse that would lead down 204 00:11:33,920 --> 00:11:38,520 Speaker 1: from the top of the projectile into the firework. That 205 00:11:38,559 --> 00:11:42,400 Speaker 1: would ignite two separate other fuses. All right, So you've 206 00:11:42,440 --> 00:11:45,120 Speaker 1: got one fuse that's a time delay fuse, and it 207 00:11:45,160 --> 00:11:47,520 Speaker 1: burns more slowly. Then you have a quick burning fuse, 208 00:11:47,600 --> 00:11:51,960 Speaker 1: which obviously burns faster. The quick burning fuse goes along 209 00:11:51,960 --> 00:11:55,680 Speaker 1: the outside of the firework down into its base. That's 210 00:11:55,679 --> 00:11:58,040 Speaker 1: where you have the lift charge. That's the black powder 211 00:11:58,080 --> 00:12:01,600 Speaker 1: that's going to provide the force to project the the 212 00:12:01,720 --> 00:12:05,520 Speaker 1: firework into the sky. Uh. The second the time delay 213 00:12:05,520 --> 00:12:08,360 Speaker 1: fused will continue to burn, and if you've designed the 214 00:12:08,360 --> 00:12:11,280 Speaker 1: firework correctly, again based upon the laws of physics, you 215 00:12:11,320 --> 00:12:15,719 Speaker 1: will have it ignited just the right uh arc right right, 216 00:12:15,960 --> 00:12:19,400 Speaker 1: usually when the firework has reached the peak exactly, and 217 00:12:19,440 --> 00:12:22,520 Speaker 1: so that would light the burst charge that's the one 218 00:12:22,559 --> 00:12:24,559 Speaker 1: that has all the stars centered around it. So you've 219 00:12:24,559 --> 00:12:27,080 Speaker 1: got two charges, the lift charge and the burst charge, 220 00:12:27,120 --> 00:12:29,280 Speaker 1: and the two have to be separated or else you 221 00:12:29,320 --> 00:12:32,360 Speaker 1: just get a mortar that explodes in a bright color 222 00:12:32,360 --> 00:12:35,640 Speaker 1: of light, which we've had happened before that accidents have happened, 223 00:12:36,160 --> 00:12:38,040 Speaker 1: um and then right, and then each of those little 224 00:12:38,440 --> 00:12:42,040 Speaker 1: stars inside the package have their own oxidizers that are 225 00:12:42,040 --> 00:12:44,800 Speaker 1: going to set off at the star exactly. And you 226 00:12:44,840 --> 00:12:47,800 Speaker 1: may even have a multi break firework which would have 227 00:12:48,240 --> 00:12:52,040 Speaker 1: multiple chambers that have burst charges and stars in them, 228 00:12:52,280 --> 00:12:56,080 Speaker 1: so that you get multiple explosions from one projectile. Uh. 229 00:12:56,120 --> 00:12:58,880 Speaker 1: Those would have even separation charges that you can think 230 00:12:58,880 --> 00:13:00,719 Speaker 1: of it kind of like a pocket that goes into 231 00:13:00,760 --> 00:13:03,160 Speaker 1: outer space. You know, when the engines are done, you 232 00:13:03,200 --> 00:13:06,560 Speaker 1: have the little separator charges that explode, separating the engines 233 00:13:06,600 --> 00:13:08,640 Speaker 1: away so that the rest of the vehicle can continue 234 00:13:08,679 --> 00:13:11,160 Speaker 1: going off into space. Same sort of thing with your 235 00:13:11,200 --> 00:13:13,440 Speaker 1: basic firework, except of course you're not shooting it nearly 236 00:13:13,480 --> 00:13:15,760 Speaker 1: as high, but you have little little Yeah, you have 237 00:13:15,800 --> 00:13:18,920 Speaker 1: a little separation charges that will allow the multi breaks 238 00:13:18,920 --> 00:13:22,080 Speaker 1: to happen. Meanwhile, that fuse just continues to slowly go 239 00:13:22,160 --> 00:13:26,960 Speaker 1: through the entire uh firework, lighting each section uh in 240 00:13:27,000 --> 00:13:29,880 Speaker 1: the right order. So it's pretty cool. So let's talk 241 00:13:29,920 --> 00:13:32,440 Speaker 1: about some of these different kinds of shells and what 242 00:13:32,559 --> 00:13:35,440 Speaker 1: exactly they do. Sure, yeah, so these are these are 243 00:13:35,640 --> 00:13:39,400 Speaker 1: terms in the fireworks industry. So the kind of shell 244 00:13:39,520 --> 00:13:43,000 Speaker 1: you have, the design of it, the the physical shape 245 00:13:43,040 --> 00:13:44,720 Speaker 1: of the shell as well as the layout of the 246 00:13:44,760 --> 00:13:49,880 Speaker 1: stars are what determine the how it behaves. So for example, 247 00:13:49,960 --> 00:13:51,640 Speaker 1: I guess we can alternate with these two. You have 248 00:13:51,840 --> 00:13:56,440 Speaker 1: a palm shell, which contains large comets or charges in 249 00:13:56,480 --> 00:14:00,439 Speaker 1: the shape of a solid cylinder. These travel outward, they 250 00:14:00,480 --> 00:14:03,000 Speaker 1: explode and then curved downward like the limbs of a 251 00:14:03,040 --> 00:14:05,640 Speaker 1: palm tree. So those are you know, now you'll be 252 00:14:05,679 --> 00:14:08,280 Speaker 1: able to impress your friends when you watch a fireworks display. 253 00:14:08,400 --> 00:14:11,360 Speaker 1: That's a palm charge. It's a classic palm c really 254 00:14:11,400 --> 00:14:16,600 Speaker 1: well done. You've also got the round shells. Those perhaps 255 00:14:16,679 --> 00:14:21,040 Speaker 1: expectedly explode in a spherical shape, usually of colored stars. Yeah, 256 00:14:21,080 --> 00:14:23,440 Speaker 1: this is what I always think of when I think fireworks. 257 00:14:23,480 --> 00:14:26,280 Speaker 1: This is the particular style I think of, just the 258 00:14:26,440 --> 00:14:29,880 Speaker 1: big round globe of glowing stars like red or green, 259 00:14:30,160 --> 00:14:32,840 Speaker 1: flying outward. I actually think of the palm first. Yeah, 260 00:14:33,120 --> 00:14:35,040 Speaker 1: I can, I can see it all depends on I guess, 261 00:14:35,080 --> 00:14:37,520 Speaker 1: your own personal experience. I've seen a lot of Disney 262 00:14:37,560 --> 00:14:41,240 Speaker 1: fireworks and and these round shells are They're very fond 263 00:14:41,240 --> 00:14:43,120 Speaker 1: of them. Yeah, because if you do three of them 264 00:14:43,120 --> 00:14:46,280 Speaker 1: in the right orientation, they look like a mickey head. Yes, exactly. 265 00:14:46,640 --> 00:14:49,040 Speaker 1: So then you have the ring shell. This explodes to 266 00:14:49,040 --> 00:14:51,400 Speaker 1: produce a symmetrical ring of stars. The way this works 267 00:14:51,480 --> 00:14:53,600 Speaker 1: is that again, if you were to cut a ring 268 00:14:53,680 --> 00:14:56,760 Speaker 1: shell in half, you would see just a perfect ring 269 00:14:57,040 --> 00:15:01,480 Speaker 1: of the the pellets, the star pellets around the burst charge, 270 00:15:01,680 --> 00:15:04,040 Speaker 1: and it would just shoot them all out, uh, in 271 00:15:04,080 --> 00:15:07,920 Speaker 1: a circle, you know, in in equal directions. So that's 272 00:15:07,960 --> 00:15:10,080 Speaker 1: all that one works. Uh. Then you've got a willow. 273 00:15:10,280 --> 00:15:14,440 Speaker 1: These contain stars with a high charcoal composition to make 274 00:15:14,480 --> 00:15:17,480 Speaker 1: them really long burning um so that they'll fall out 275 00:15:17,560 --> 00:15:19,920 Speaker 1: in the shape of willow branches and and stay lips, 276 00:15:19,960 --> 00:15:22,400 Speaker 1: stay visible sometimes even until they hit the ground. Yeah, 277 00:15:22,440 --> 00:15:23,800 Speaker 1: these are the ones that you know, you see those 278 00:15:23,840 --> 00:15:26,560 Speaker 1: sparkles and they just the long trail of sparkles as 279 00:15:26,560 --> 00:15:30,440 Speaker 1: they slowly descend. They're very, very impressive. We're making so 280 00:15:30,480 --> 00:15:33,400 Speaker 1: many gestures over here, folks. It's really there's a lot 281 00:15:33,400 --> 00:15:36,760 Speaker 1: of like, uh, spirit fingers going on inside the studio 282 00:15:36,840 --> 00:15:39,440 Speaker 1: right now. Then you have the round dell, which bursts 283 00:15:39,440 --> 00:15:43,240 Speaker 1: into a circle of maroon shells that then explode in sequence. 284 00:15:43,600 --> 00:15:47,160 Speaker 1: Maroon shells is that the color actually no in in 285 00:15:47,280 --> 00:15:51,920 Speaker 1: fireworks language, maroon shells are shells that make a boom noise. 286 00:15:52,120 --> 00:15:53,880 Speaker 1: These are the ones that I really didn't like as 287 00:15:53,880 --> 00:15:57,240 Speaker 1: a kid. The very loud bangs. So by the way, again, 288 00:15:57,280 --> 00:15:59,520 Speaker 1: the way you create that loud bang is you really 289 00:15:59,520 --> 00:16:03,680 Speaker 1: compress that black powder uh in in uh fireworks factories. 290 00:16:03,680 --> 00:16:05,480 Speaker 1: The way I've seen this is that you create the 291 00:16:05,520 --> 00:16:09,000 Speaker 1: parchment shell, the black powders in it. You then have 292 00:16:09,160 --> 00:16:12,840 Speaker 1: that shell wrapped in string that is very tightly wound 293 00:16:12,880 --> 00:16:16,320 Speaker 1: so it compresses it. Then you put wet parchment paper 294 00:16:16,400 --> 00:16:18,800 Speaker 1: on the outside of it, tightly wrapped so that when 295 00:16:18,840 --> 00:16:22,360 Speaker 1: it dries, it compresses it even more. Yeah, pretty impressive. 296 00:16:22,560 --> 00:16:25,600 Speaker 1: Our next type is the chrysanthemum shell, which which person 297 00:16:25,600 --> 00:16:28,400 Speaker 1: into like a spherical pattern of stars that that leave 298 00:16:28,440 --> 00:16:30,640 Speaker 1: a visible trail, so the effect is something like a 299 00:16:30,720 --> 00:16:33,280 Speaker 1: chrysanthemum blossom. Yep. Then you have the pistol, the p 300 00:16:33,480 --> 00:16:36,640 Speaker 1: I S T I L, which is like the chrysanthemum shell, 301 00:16:36,720 --> 00:16:39,120 Speaker 1: but this one has a core. There's a different color 302 00:16:39,240 --> 00:16:41,400 Speaker 1: than the stars that fly out from the middle, So 303 00:16:41,760 --> 00:16:43,920 Speaker 1: the middle has one color, the stars the second color. 304 00:16:44,520 --> 00:16:47,120 Speaker 1: You can have just a maroon shell yep. So if 305 00:16:47,120 --> 00:16:50,640 Speaker 1: you just just a bang, yeah, I hated those. And 306 00:16:50,680 --> 00:16:54,360 Speaker 1: then you had the serpentine, which is my strategy, and halo, 307 00:16:54,800 --> 00:16:59,280 Speaker 1: which never works. But no serpentine fireworks shell burst to 308 00:16:59,360 --> 00:17:03,680 Speaker 1: send small tubes of incendiaries skittering outward at random paths, 309 00:17:03,680 --> 00:17:06,000 Speaker 1: which may culminate an exploding star. So if you ever 310 00:17:06,040 --> 00:17:08,600 Speaker 1: see the ones that have like the crazy Spinney's that 311 00:17:08,680 --> 00:17:11,760 Speaker 1: fly off, yeah, those are serpentines. So those are your 312 00:17:11,840 --> 00:17:14,520 Speaker 1: basic types of fireworks shells. Of course, there are other 313 00:17:14,640 --> 00:17:17,840 Speaker 1: variations on these, or there's some that use this as 314 00:17:17,840 --> 00:17:20,520 Speaker 1: a basis and then they create a different effect. But 315 00:17:20,560 --> 00:17:23,000 Speaker 1: if you were in the fireworks trade, those are the 316 00:17:23,080 --> 00:17:25,600 Speaker 1: kind of terms you would be hearing, and people would 317 00:17:25,640 --> 00:17:27,720 Speaker 1: just call them out as they would see them launchic. Oh, 318 00:17:27,840 --> 00:17:30,960 Speaker 1: that's a round, l that's a serpentine. You wouldn't have 319 00:17:30,960 --> 00:17:32,600 Speaker 1: to say that's a maroon because everyone would be going 320 00:17:32,680 --> 00:17:36,280 Speaker 1: what anyway. So we've talked a little bit about this, 321 00:17:36,440 --> 00:17:41,840 Speaker 1: but actually launching fireworks, especially in terms of displays. So yeah, 322 00:17:41,920 --> 00:17:44,800 Speaker 1: the basic one we've covered the idea that you know 323 00:17:44,840 --> 00:17:47,400 Speaker 1: you have the slow burning fuse and the quick burning fuse. 324 00:17:47,440 --> 00:17:50,280 Speaker 1: The quick burning one lights the black powder. One thing 325 00:17:50,280 --> 00:17:51,879 Speaker 1: we didn't mention is that you do have to have 326 00:17:51,880 --> 00:17:54,080 Speaker 1: a mortar, which is essentially a pipe that has a 327 00:17:54,119 --> 00:17:57,000 Speaker 1: closed off end on one side, and you know In 328 00:17:57,040 --> 00:18:01,320 Speaker 1: the old days, you would essentially light the one main fuse, 329 00:18:02,119 --> 00:18:05,800 Speaker 1: drop the package into the mortar, and then run the 330 00:18:05,800 --> 00:18:10,080 Speaker 1: heck away before everything started going bonky. So once that 331 00:18:10,200 --> 00:18:14,879 Speaker 1: lift charge ignites, it creates a lot of gas, and 332 00:18:14,920 --> 00:18:18,000 Speaker 1: that gas expands and that's what provides the thrust to 333 00:18:18,119 --> 00:18:21,000 Speaker 1: push the package out of the mortar and into the air. 334 00:18:21,080 --> 00:18:23,960 Speaker 1: So if this sounds a lot like our discussions about 335 00:18:24,400 --> 00:18:28,399 Speaker 1: things like cannon and flintlock pistols and things of that nature, 336 00:18:28,480 --> 00:18:31,200 Speaker 1: it's because it is. We're talking about expanding gases. It's 337 00:18:31,240 --> 00:18:34,840 Speaker 1: the same thing that creates the the propulsion for your 338 00:18:34,880 --> 00:18:40,280 Speaker 1: basic firearm. So you've got your mortar and your your 339 00:18:40,359 --> 00:18:42,160 Speaker 1: lift charge, and that's all you need to be able 340 00:18:42,200 --> 00:18:46,080 Speaker 1: to launch it properly. These days, we don't necessarily need 341 00:18:46,240 --> 00:18:49,480 Speaker 1: to have someone physically light a fuse and then dump 342 00:18:49,520 --> 00:18:52,880 Speaker 1: it into a mortar. Than right there's there there are 343 00:18:52,880 --> 00:18:56,960 Speaker 1: computerized fuses that will h I mean not self light 344 00:18:57,160 --> 00:18:59,960 Speaker 1: but no, no. Why Essentially, you've got you set up 345 00:19:00,080 --> 00:19:03,440 Speaker 1: your your mortar system that already has the various packages 346 00:19:03,640 --> 00:19:06,760 Speaker 1: in each mortar as it's supposed to be uh, and 347 00:19:06,760 --> 00:19:09,240 Speaker 1: then you have an electrical charge that can create the 348 00:19:09,280 --> 00:19:12,720 Speaker 1: spark to light the fuse, so that way everything can 349 00:19:12,760 --> 00:19:15,280 Speaker 1: be done from a distance. You can either have it 350 00:19:15,359 --> 00:19:18,199 Speaker 1: where it's manually done, where you push a button and 351 00:19:18,200 --> 00:19:20,520 Speaker 1: that button is what creates the spark, or you can 352 00:19:20,560 --> 00:19:23,320 Speaker 1: have it fully automated, where you've got a full program 353 00:19:23,359 --> 00:19:25,919 Speaker 1: and you say, at this time stamp and when this 354 00:19:25,960 --> 00:19:30,120 Speaker 1: program runs, this particular spark needs to happen, and in 355 00:19:30,160 --> 00:19:32,200 Speaker 1: that case you can launch a firework. So this is 356 00:19:32,240 --> 00:19:35,960 Speaker 1: where you get those big choreograph displays. Right, You've got 357 00:19:36,000 --> 00:19:39,280 Speaker 1: a essentially a program that has a beginning to the end. 358 00:19:39,400 --> 00:19:41,920 Speaker 1: And think of it like a video on YouTube. You 359 00:19:41,960 --> 00:19:43,679 Speaker 1: would you look at the video and you'd see, oh, 360 00:19:43,680 --> 00:19:46,520 Speaker 1: it's seven minutes twelve twelve seconds long. I want to 361 00:19:46,520 --> 00:19:50,840 Speaker 1: see what happens at minute three and and twelve seconds 362 00:19:50,840 --> 00:19:52,520 Speaker 1: and you go straight to that point and you look 363 00:19:52,560 --> 00:19:56,080 Speaker 1: at that frame. Well, in this computer program, you would 364 00:19:56,080 --> 00:19:59,520 Speaker 1: be able to see which switches were essentially being thrown 365 00:19:59,720 --> 00:20:05,000 Speaker 1: all atronically not mechanically necessarily these days, and you could say, oh, alright, 366 00:20:05,040 --> 00:20:10,320 Speaker 1: at that point, orders seventeen three and forty nine all fire. 367 00:20:10,600 --> 00:20:13,919 Speaker 1: There's a roundel in the center, there's a chrysanthemum, and 368 00:20:13,960 --> 00:20:16,760 Speaker 1: there's a pistol and all three go up simultaneously to 369 00:20:16,840 --> 00:20:20,119 Speaker 1: create the effect you're going for. And you know exactly 370 00:20:20,240 --> 00:20:22,640 Speaker 1: what's in which mortar. You know, you program that ends 371 00:20:22,640 --> 00:20:24,359 Speaker 1: you put them there. Yeah, you put them there, and 372 00:20:24,400 --> 00:20:27,280 Speaker 1: you say to the computer program, this is the thing 373 00:20:27,640 --> 00:20:31,280 Speaker 1: that's in this other thing, and you you cut and 374 00:20:31,520 --> 00:20:34,919 Speaker 1: create your fuses. Fuse technology also has a lot to 375 00:20:35,080 --> 00:20:37,200 Speaker 1: do with how all of this is going to go off. 376 00:20:37,640 --> 00:20:40,800 Speaker 1: And fuses are just really basic things if you've never 377 00:20:40,840 --> 00:20:43,080 Speaker 1: created one yourself, that are made of some kind of 378 00:20:43,119 --> 00:20:46,880 Speaker 1: fuel um that's coated or or possibly soaked or infused 379 00:20:46,920 --> 00:20:50,280 Speaker 1: with some kind of oxidizer, and the exact materials and 380 00:20:50,440 --> 00:20:52,679 Speaker 1: ratios of materials that you use are going to give 381 00:20:52,720 --> 00:20:55,399 Speaker 1: you these these different time effects right whether or not 382 00:20:55,480 --> 00:20:57,680 Speaker 1: it will burn at say, you could have the same 383 00:20:57,800 --> 00:21:00,960 Speaker 1: length of fuse and one of them might take fifteen 384 00:21:00,960 --> 00:21:03,120 Speaker 1: seconds to burn all the way through, the other one 385 00:21:03,200 --> 00:21:06,000 Speaker 1: might burn all the way through in three seconds. Again, 386 00:21:06,040 --> 00:21:08,639 Speaker 1: it all depends upon the the stuff you've put into 387 00:21:08,640 --> 00:21:11,240 Speaker 1: that fuse, the oxidizers and any other kind of fuel 388 00:21:11,280 --> 00:21:15,639 Speaker 1: you've imbued the fuse with. So uh, once you know 389 00:21:15,680 --> 00:21:19,200 Speaker 1: the physics and assuming your chemistry is good, you can 390 00:21:19,240 --> 00:21:22,280 Speaker 1: have very consistent results from one firework to the next. 391 00:21:22,720 --> 00:21:25,359 Speaker 1: So that assumes a lot. It means that you have 392 00:21:25,440 --> 00:21:28,160 Speaker 1: to be very consistent and all the ingredients you use. 393 00:21:28,240 --> 00:21:31,000 Speaker 1: You have to be consistent in the mixtures, the proportions 394 00:21:31,040 --> 00:21:34,040 Speaker 1: you're using, as well as consistent in the placement of 395 00:21:34,119 --> 00:21:37,200 Speaker 1: stars and the fuses that you use. But if you are, 396 00:21:37,480 --> 00:21:41,280 Speaker 1: if you're really good about that, then you know how 397 00:21:41,680 --> 00:21:44,359 Speaker 1: far the thing is gonna fly based upon the amount 398 00:21:44,359 --> 00:21:46,840 Speaker 1: of lift charge in it and it's weight, because that's 399 00:21:46,880 --> 00:21:48,359 Speaker 1: the two things that are going to determine how far 400 00:21:48,440 --> 00:21:50,960 Speaker 1: projectile flies is how heavy is it and how much 401 00:21:51,000 --> 00:21:53,159 Speaker 1: thrust are you giving it. Then you would also be 402 00:21:53,240 --> 00:21:56,359 Speaker 1: able to determine when it's going to explode based upon 403 00:21:56,600 --> 00:21:59,080 Speaker 1: the type of fuse that leads to that verset charge. 404 00:21:59,320 --> 00:22:01,720 Speaker 1: So once you oh these things, you can start to 405 00:22:01,800 --> 00:22:04,600 Speaker 1: work backward. Right. So let's say that you have a 406 00:22:04,640 --> 00:22:07,760 Speaker 1: piece of music that you that you particularly want to 407 00:22:07,840 --> 00:22:10,760 Speaker 1: set your fireworks display too. And since I'm a huge 408 00:22:10,800 --> 00:22:13,280 Speaker 1: Disney fan and Disney is famous for this, let's say 409 00:22:13,320 --> 00:22:15,760 Speaker 1: it's when you wish upon a star, and when you 410 00:22:15,760 --> 00:22:18,840 Speaker 1: can hear the words star, clearly you want to have 411 00:22:18,920 --> 00:22:21,800 Speaker 1: a starburst effect, right, you want to have the gorgeous 412 00:22:21,800 --> 00:22:24,560 Speaker 1: starburst effects of the crowd is ooing and eying right 413 00:22:24,560 --> 00:22:26,320 Speaker 1: at the right moment. So what you would do is 414 00:22:26,320 --> 00:22:28,280 Speaker 1: you would take that song and you would look at 415 00:22:28,280 --> 00:22:32,160 Speaker 1: the time stamp for when the word star is mentioned. 416 00:22:32,480 --> 00:22:35,119 Speaker 1: From that time stamp, you start to work backward and 417 00:22:35,160 --> 00:22:37,679 Speaker 1: you say, all right, based upon when this happens in 418 00:22:37,680 --> 00:22:41,320 Speaker 1: the song, when does that burst charge need to ignite? 419 00:22:41,800 --> 00:22:44,280 Speaker 1: And then working backwards from that point, you know you 420 00:22:44,320 --> 00:22:47,119 Speaker 1: know when the burst charge needs to ignite so that 421 00:22:47,160 --> 00:22:49,280 Speaker 1: you get the effect you want. You then say, all right, 422 00:22:49,320 --> 00:22:51,960 Speaker 1: well i want it to be at this particular height 423 00:22:52,040 --> 00:22:55,399 Speaker 1: and I'm firing it from this particular location. So based 424 00:22:55,400 --> 00:22:57,360 Speaker 1: on that, you know the distance that the projectile has 425 00:22:57,400 --> 00:22:59,360 Speaker 1: to go so that it can be at the right 426 00:22:59,400 --> 00:23:02,359 Speaker 1: height and and explode at the right time. That tells 427 00:23:02,400 --> 00:23:04,960 Speaker 1: you how large a lift charge you need to get 428 00:23:04,960 --> 00:23:08,000 Speaker 1: the projectile there, and how quickly that quick burning fuse 429 00:23:08,040 --> 00:23:10,360 Speaker 1: needs to burn in order for it to ignite at 430 00:23:10,359 --> 00:23:12,640 Speaker 1: what time you need to push or push the button 431 00:23:12,760 --> 00:23:17,600 Speaker 1: or have it automatically exactly. So again you just work backwards. 432 00:23:17,600 --> 00:23:20,200 Speaker 1: You know you know when you want the effect to happen, 433 00:23:20,320 --> 00:23:22,159 Speaker 1: So then you work backwards to find out when it 434 00:23:22,240 --> 00:23:25,639 Speaker 1: has to initiate that are that fuse burning for the 435 00:23:25,640 --> 00:23:30,639 Speaker 1: first time. So it actually is is pretty easy in 436 00:23:30,720 --> 00:23:33,119 Speaker 1: that respect, but it does require that you have a 437 00:23:33,640 --> 00:23:37,120 Speaker 1: very good knowledge of how the physics works, so that 438 00:23:37,440 --> 00:23:41,840 Speaker 1: and and it also requires that those fireworks are consistently made. 439 00:23:42,760 --> 00:23:45,000 Speaker 1: You've worked out the chemistry correctly, right, so that way 440 00:23:45,040 --> 00:23:47,360 Speaker 1: when you use all right, we're going to use firework 441 00:23:47,440 --> 00:23:52,240 Speaker 1: number seven, this this particular type of firework every single time, 442 00:23:52,280 --> 00:23:56,280 Speaker 1: because I mean, like Walt Disney, the Disney Parks, they 443 00:23:56,320 --> 00:23:59,480 Speaker 1: do these these fireworks displays nearly every night, particularly in 444 00:23:59,480 --> 00:24:02,000 Speaker 1: the summer, right, So then that means it has to 445 00:24:02,040 --> 00:24:04,720 Speaker 1: be exactly right each time. So the fireworks have to 446 00:24:04,720 --> 00:24:08,320 Speaker 1: be consistent and they have to be ignited at the 447 00:24:08,320 --> 00:24:12,440 Speaker 1: the same time the consistent time throughout each of these displays. 448 00:24:12,480 --> 00:24:16,520 Speaker 1: But it's really pretty cool. Um. Also, you might wonder 449 00:24:16,520 --> 00:24:19,080 Speaker 1: what exactly is making that boom noise. Yeah, Well we've 450 00:24:19,119 --> 00:24:22,600 Speaker 1: been talking a little bit about expanding gases. Yeah, and 451 00:24:22,680 --> 00:24:26,280 Speaker 1: that's that's basically it. The the the expansion of this 452 00:24:26,359 --> 00:24:30,119 Speaker 1: stuff in the firework displaces a pretty large quantity of 453 00:24:30,160 --> 00:24:32,600 Speaker 1: air that air has to go somewhere, so it ripples 454 00:24:32,600 --> 00:24:36,880 Speaker 1: outward really fast, right, essentially a shock wave. So that's 455 00:24:36,880 --> 00:24:39,560 Speaker 1: what makes the boom. Yeah. So of course, the more 456 00:24:40,119 --> 00:24:43,960 Speaker 1: black powder you can pack into a small space, the 457 00:24:44,000 --> 00:24:47,160 Speaker 1: bigger the boom. Again, it has to be compact because 458 00:24:47,160 --> 00:24:49,520 Speaker 1: if it's just loose, then it just it just burns. 459 00:24:49,640 --> 00:24:51,639 Speaker 1: It burns really fast. In fact, there are a lot 460 00:24:51,680 --> 00:24:54,840 Speaker 1: of people who get really picky about the terms uh, 461 00:24:54,920 --> 00:24:59,359 Speaker 1: igniting versus exploding, because they say, well, technically, gunpowder just 462 00:24:59,440 --> 00:25:04,200 Speaker 1: burns really, really really fast. It's not truly explosive. Yeah, 463 00:25:04,240 --> 00:25:05,720 Speaker 1: but if you were to put it in a very 464 00:25:05,800 --> 00:25:09,639 Speaker 1: compact area, then you get that explosion because of the 465 00:25:09,880 --> 00:25:14,280 Speaker 1: rapid combustion. We'll be back with more about fireworks in 466 00:25:14,400 --> 00:25:26,199 Speaker 1: just a moment. So, uh, we've really kind of covered 467 00:25:26,240 --> 00:25:30,520 Speaker 1: all the basics, um about you know, how these things work, uh, 468 00:25:30,760 --> 00:25:33,120 Speaker 1: the way that you would coordinate stuff. But we've still 469 00:25:33,160 --> 00:25:36,920 Speaker 1: got some fun, little goofy trivial facts that I wanted 470 00:25:36,960 --> 00:25:40,159 Speaker 1: to cover. And so back in I mentioned this a 471 00:25:40,200 --> 00:25:44,320 Speaker 1: little bit. Disneyland introduced its first fireworks show. Uh. It 472 00:25:44,400 --> 00:25:47,199 Speaker 1: was called Fantasy in the Sky, and Walt Disney came 473 00:25:47,320 --> 00:25:49,399 Speaker 1: up with this idea or actually asked the imagineers to 474 00:25:49,400 --> 00:25:51,360 Speaker 1: come up with an idea of how do you keep 475 00:25:51,640 --> 00:25:53,960 Speaker 1: people in the park after it gets dark? And I 476 00:25:54,000 --> 00:25:57,080 Speaker 1: guess this is why to this day Disney uses fireworks 477 00:25:57,119 --> 00:25:59,399 Speaker 1: displays almost nightly. Yeah. Well, it turned out to be 478 00:25:59,400 --> 00:26:02,080 Speaker 1: one of those things that really really worked well. People 479 00:26:02,119 --> 00:26:05,280 Speaker 1: would stay in the park longer, which ultimately means they'd 480 00:26:05,320 --> 00:26:07,439 Speaker 1: be willing to spend more money. I mean you, the 481 00:26:07,520 --> 00:26:09,600 Speaker 1: longer you keep someone there, the more likely they're gonna 482 00:26:09,640 --> 00:26:12,400 Speaker 1: walk out with one of those Mickey lemonades and Mickey dolls. 483 00:26:12,440 --> 00:26:17,640 Speaker 1: They the more, the more Turos they'll eat. Disney Turos 484 00:26:17,680 --> 00:26:21,320 Speaker 1: are the best. You know, their ice cream is pretty 485 00:26:21,359 --> 00:26:25,240 Speaker 1: awesome too. Okay, I love Disney. But the anyway, the 486 00:26:25,320 --> 00:26:28,000 Speaker 1: launch site for the fireworks was backstage, and each firework 487 00:26:28,040 --> 00:26:30,720 Speaker 1: at that time had to be lit manually. There's actually 488 00:26:30,720 --> 00:26:33,720 Speaker 1: some video that you can watch of the various people 489 00:26:33,760 --> 00:26:35,800 Speaker 1: who had to run back and forth and light the 490 00:26:35,840 --> 00:26:40,119 Speaker 1: fireworks in the right sequence. Um. Now, these early fireworks 491 00:26:40,160 --> 00:26:42,880 Speaker 1: weren't choreographed the way the modern ones were. It wasn't 492 00:26:42,880 --> 00:26:46,040 Speaker 1: like you had park wide music and the fireworks went 493 00:26:46,040 --> 00:26:49,960 Speaker 1: off of the right but they were like really impressive displays. Uh. 494 00:26:50,040 --> 00:26:52,080 Speaker 1: The displays, by the way, in Disney parks all depend 495 00:26:52,200 --> 00:26:54,800 Speaker 1: upon where you which park you're in, because some of 496 00:26:54,800 --> 00:26:59,359 Speaker 1: the places like Disneyland, Paris and UH and Tokyo Disneyland 497 00:26:59,359 --> 00:27:04,480 Speaker 1: and Tokyo disne See have specific limitations on how high 498 00:27:04,800 --> 00:27:07,879 Speaker 1: works can go. So the ones that you'll see in 499 00:27:07,960 --> 00:27:10,840 Speaker 1: say Florida and California are different than the ones you 500 00:27:10,840 --> 00:27:14,080 Speaker 1: would see in these other parks because of those locals. 501 00:27:15,240 --> 00:27:18,080 Speaker 1: And since the days of Fantasy in the Sky, they've 502 00:27:18,400 --> 00:27:20,320 Speaker 1: they've kind of upgraded, Like I said, they've got the 503 00:27:20,320 --> 00:27:24,600 Speaker 1: fully choreographed ones. Yeah, yeah, with quite a few shells. Yeah. 504 00:27:24,640 --> 00:27:29,879 Speaker 1: The Disney World's Wishes display has five hundred fifty seven 505 00:27:30,040 --> 00:27:33,080 Speaker 1: firing queues. They have more shells than that, but just 506 00:27:33,160 --> 00:27:37,760 Speaker 1: five fifty seven separate cueues in that one display, So 507 00:27:37,840 --> 00:27:43,080 Speaker 1: five fifty seven different times there are multiple shells going 508 00:27:43,160 --> 00:27:46,520 Speaker 1: up into the sky. That's incredibly complex. I think it's 509 00:27:46,560 --> 00:27:49,080 Speaker 1: like seventeen minutes long something like that. So it's a 510 00:27:49,119 --> 00:27:52,879 Speaker 1: really long display, so really impressive. I mean obviously if 511 00:27:52,880 --> 00:27:54,440 Speaker 1: it were like three minutes long and there's five or 512 00:27:54,560 --> 00:27:56,760 Speaker 1: fifty seven firing cues, you would just be blind and 513 00:27:56,840 --> 00:27:58,480 Speaker 1: deaf by the end of it. Yeah, that sounds a 514 00:27:58,520 --> 00:28:02,919 Speaker 1: little bit whelming, right, Yes. Um uh. They've also engineered 515 00:28:03,040 --> 00:28:07,440 Speaker 1: their their system to use compressed air for launches rather 516 00:28:07,520 --> 00:28:11,960 Speaker 1: than that initial blast. We've been talking about an initial 517 00:28:12,000 --> 00:28:15,120 Speaker 1: blast forcing something out out of the firing too. But yeah, 518 00:28:15,160 --> 00:28:18,480 Speaker 1: but they're using compressed air, so it probably reduces their 519 00:28:18,520 --> 00:28:21,680 Speaker 1: cost a lot. You only need that that single explosion, 520 00:28:21,720 --> 00:28:24,119 Speaker 1: and it reduces the amount of smoke that's created. Yes, 521 00:28:24,200 --> 00:28:26,560 Speaker 1: so they don't have to because of obviously those early 522 00:28:26,640 --> 00:28:29,360 Speaker 1: displays emit that once the display was over, you had 523 00:28:29,359 --> 00:28:33,440 Speaker 1: this kind of cloud of smoke hanging over the Magic Kingdom. Yeah, 524 00:28:33,760 --> 00:28:36,680 Speaker 1: so this way they are able to avoid that. Also, 525 00:28:36,680 --> 00:28:38,920 Speaker 1: I mean, you're just using giant air cannons. That's how 526 00:28:38,960 --> 00:28:41,560 Speaker 1: cool is that? Uh. In the United States, at least, 527 00:28:41,760 --> 00:28:45,080 Speaker 1: fireworks are technically classified as two different types of explosives 528 00:28:45,120 --> 00:28:48,280 Speaker 1: at the same time because of the different effects. So 529 00:28:48,360 --> 00:28:51,040 Speaker 1: the fact that they have the one blast for propulsion 530 00:28:51,040 --> 00:28:53,680 Speaker 1: and the other blast that's truly the explosion. You have 531 00:28:53,760 --> 00:28:56,440 Speaker 1: a low level and like an intermediate level of explosive 532 00:28:56,840 --> 00:29:00,160 Speaker 1: classification just for fireworks. Like it's two and one of 533 00:29:00,200 --> 00:29:04,200 Speaker 1: the recording of this podcast. The largest fireworks display on 534 00:29:04,320 --> 00:29:09,880 Speaker 1: record happened on December in Dubai, during which they exploded 535 00:29:10,040 --> 00:29:13,520 Speaker 1: four hundred and seventy nine thousand, six hundred and fifty 536 00:29:13,600 --> 00:29:19,320 Speaker 1: one fireworks. It's stretched across about sixty miles of seafront. 537 00:29:19,480 --> 00:29:23,920 Speaker 1: That is an enormous fireworks display. Yeah, the the air 538 00:29:24,080 --> 00:29:28,600 Speaker 1: would look as if it were on fire. Yeah. Well, 539 00:29:28,640 --> 00:29:29,960 Speaker 1: we kind of have to because I don't think any 540 00:29:29,960 --> 00:29:32,560 Speaker 1: wants enough forward to do that. Uh no, no, and 541 00:29:32,680 --> 00:29:34,520 Speaker 1: um and and again we do. We do want to 542 00:29:34,560 --> 00:29:37,640 Speaker 1: impress upon you that that these are I mean beautiful 543 00:29:37,720 --> 00:29:40,840 Speaker 1: and mirac well not miraculous, they're technological. These are beautiful, 544 00:29:40,960 --> 00:29:45,160 Speaker 1: technological feats of engineering and physics and chemistry all at 545 00:29:45,160 --> 00:29:47,400 Speaker 1: the same time that will totally blow your fingers off. 546 00:29:47,440 --> 00:29:50,920 Speaker 1: It will super blow your fingers off, y'all. Don't play 547 00:29:51,000 --> 00:29:53,440 Speaker 1: with them, no, yeah, and I know there are a 548 00:29:53,440 --> 00:29:55,800 Speaker 1: lot of people who do like their little backyard fireworks 549 00:29:55,800 --> 00:29:58,160 Speaker 1: display or four fourth of July here in the US, 550 00:29:58,320 --> 00:30:00,600 Speaker 1: or or the New Year's Eve or what. Just just 551 00:30:00,680 --> 00:30:03,960 Speaker 1: you know, stay sober, folks. Have a spotter, yeah, have 552 00:30:03,960 --> 00:30:06,880 Speaker 1: have you know your your fire handling stuff like a 553 00:30:06,920 --> 00:30:10,720 Speaker 1: fire extinguisher is always a good idea. Just practice safety 554 00:30:10,880 --> 00:30:15,720 Speaker 1: and be be alert, you know, enjoy yourself, but don't 555 00:30:15,720 --> 00:30:18,920 Speaker 1: make them at home, please. These are these are explosives, 556 00:30:18,920 --> 00:30:23,440 Speaker 1: and explosives are inherently dangerous, so just be careful. Even 557 00:30:23,560 --> 00:30:26,920 Speaker 1: sparklers are using black powder, right, that's that's one of 558 00:30:26,920 --> 00:30:29,640 Speaker 1: the mixers, and they have like the little mel f 559 00:30:29,640 --> 00:30:31,600 Speaker 1: likes like aluminum or whatever in them so that they 560 00:30:31,680 --> 00:30:36,360 Speaker 1: create those bright silver sparks. So these are things that 561 00:30:36,440 --> 00:30:39,680 Speaker 1: will burn. They'll burn hot, they will burn you if 562 00:30:39,680 --> 00:30:43,160 Speaker 1: you're not careful, So just show caution. Enjoy yourselves though, 563 00:30:43,200 --> 00:30:47,400 Speaker 1: because these displays can be really really impressive. Um, I 564 00:30:47,520 --> 00:30:49,880 Speaker 1: like to let other people handle it for me because, 565 00:30:49,880 --> 00:30:52,560 Speaker 1: knowing how excellent prone I am, I realized that it 566 00:30:52,600 --> 00:30:54,440 Speaker 1: would be a terrible idea to put me in charge 567 00:30:54,440 --> 00:30:57,040 Speaker 1: of any kind of fireworks display. Given the opportunity, I 568 00:30:57,040 --> 00:30:59,760 Speaker 1: will burn myself every time. I have to remind myself 569 00:30:59,760 --> 00:31:02,680 Speaker 1: a roximately daily that hot things are hot, right exactly right? 570 00:31:02,840 --> 00:31:05,320 Speaker 1: Oh yeah, that thing that glowing red, Now, I remember 571 00:31:05,320 --> 00:31:08,720 Speaker 1: why it's glowing red. It's because of that those excited electrons. 572 00:31:11,480 --> 00:31:15,280 Speaker 1: And that's it. That's our two part episode series on fireworks. 573 00:31:15,320 --> 00:31:19,240 Speaker 1: I keep thinking I need to do another episode about this, 574 00:31:19,360 --> 00:31:23,560 Speaker 1: but talk about, uh, some of the more recent fireworks 575 00:31:23,560 --> 00:31:28,959 Speaker 1: extravaganza US, because there's some pretty phenomenal ones out there, 576 00:31:29,000 --> 00:31:33,200 Speaker 1: including ones that incorporate everything from lasers to drones and 577 00:31:34,040 --> 00:31:37,200 Speaker 1: projection mapping and all that kind of stuff. There's some 578 00:31:37,240 --> 00:31:41,720 Speaker 1: really cool ones. Uh, And yeah, maybe I'll revisit this 579 00:31:42,200 --> 00:31:45,320 Speaker 1: for a future episode. But if you have suggestions for episodes, 580 00:31:45,600 --> 00:31:47,680 Speaker 1: then I would love to hear them. There are a 581 00:31:47,720 --> 00:31:50,520 Speaker 1: couple different ways you can get in touch. One is 582 00:31:50,680 --> 00:31:53,200 Speaker 1: you can go and download the I Heart Radio app, 583 00:31:53,240 --> 00:31:56,360 Speaker 1: which is free to use and free to download, and 584 00:31:56,400 --> 00:31:59,040 Speaker 1: you can just navigate over to the tech Stuff podcast 585 00:31:59,080 --> 00:32:02,040 Speaker 1: page and use little microphone icon to leave a voice 586 00:32:02,080 --> 00:32:04,880 Speaker 1: message to thirty seconds in length let me know what 587 00:32:04,920 --> 00:32:07,840 Speaker 1: you would like. Or you can go over on Twitter 588 00:32:08,160 --> 00:32:10,040 Speaker 1: and send me a message. The handle for the show 589 00:32:10,160 --> 00:32:13,400 Speaker 1: is tech Stuff H s W and I'll talk to 590 00:32:13,480 --> 00:32:21,480 Speaker 1: you again really soon. Y. Tech Stuff is an I 591 00:32:21,600 --> 00:32:25,080 Speaker 1: Heart Radio production. For more podcasts from my Heart Radio, 592 00:32:25,440 --> 00:32:28,600 Speaker 1: visit the i Heart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever 593 00:32:28,680 --> 00:32:30,200 Speaker 1: you listen to your favorite shows.