Reef Chemistry Question of the Day 292: Fireworks

[CWH]

Reef Chemistry Question of the Day 292

In honor of the Fourth of July (Independence Day, sorry, Great Britain), let's have some fireworks fun.

Which of these favorite reefing chemicals provides the orange color in many fireworks?

A. Calcium
B. Magnesium
C. Phosphate
D. Nitrate

Good luck and Happy Fourth of July!

C. Phosphate

 

[Troylee]

Shows how many fireworks I've made..lol.

I only know this because people use to burn vw motor blocks at the dunes and they’re made of magnesium… it will get hot and glow for awhile before putting off the brightest white you’ve ever seen in your life! Haha..

 

[Rmckoy]

I only know this because people use to burn vw motor blocks at the dunes and they’re made of magnesium… it will get hot and glow for awhile before putting off the brightest white you’ve ever seen in your life! Haha..

I believe the fire starting flints used in survival kits are magnesium .
Again brightest white

 

[taricha]

the primitive part of my brain wants to go light some reef supplies on fire to see what happens haha

I once did a flame test with a couple of drops from an old bottle of Kent Strontium and Molybdenum and... definitely Strontium in there!

 

[Koty]

My guess is Nitrate (HP Nitrogen lamps give the orange color)

 

[hunterallen40]

Calcium would be my guess

 

[SnazzyUrchin792]

Calcium.

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley]

And the answer is...

Which of these favorite reefing chemicals provides the orange color in many fireworks?

A. Calcium

One can also generate orange by mixing other elements (e.g.,, sodium that is yellow and strontium that is red), but the common one is calcium.

This picture has a nice representation of chemical colors:

The chemistry of the colours of fireworks

Click to enlarge The colours in fireworks stem from a wide variety of metal compounds - particularly metal salts. 'Salt' as a word conjures up images of the normal table salt you probably use every day; whilst this is one type of salt (sodium...

www.compoundchem.com

Hope you all had a nice Fourth!