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Nerdy Diwali: Fun facts about sparklers

Early man may have discovered sparklers by accident when some bamboo leaves may have got thrown into a fire and resulted in a sizzle or explosion.

Sparklers and fireworks were invented by the Chinese in the 6th century.

The skill of creating and setting off fireworks is called pyrotechnics. It’s from the Greek word pyro, “fire,” and techne, “art.”

The “classic” type of sparkler consists of a thin metal rod that has been dipped in a thick batter of slowburning combustible material and allowed to dry.

Chemistry: Sparklers are made from metallic fuel (including aluminium, magnesium, iron, titanium and ferrotitanium).

Sparkler burns can land you in hospital.

At first fireworks were only orange and white. In the Middle Ages new colours were achieved by adding different salts. For example, barium burns green, while calcium creates orange. Blue is known for being the most difficult colour to create, from copper. There still isn’t a full-proof chemistry to make bright blue. However, red, green, orange and white are very easy to produce.

A sparkler reaches a temperature of up to 2,000°C, which is 20 times the boiling point of water. To put that in context, iron out of the ground can melt at around 1510°C and steel often melts at around 1370°C.

Three sparklers burning together generate the same heat as a blow-torch

Sparklers remain too hot to touch for several minutes after they have gone out and will therefore still cause burns.

Light one at a time.

Put burnt sparklers in a bucket of water.

Fireworks came first, not weapons. Since gunpowder is linked with fireworks, many people may think fireworks were created from weapon ingredients, when actually it is the other way around.

Sparkler bombs are constructed by binding together as many as 300 sparklers with tape, leaving one extended to use as a fuse.

The resulting blast can approach the power of a stick of dynamite. These devices have caused deaths – they can also be ignited accidentally by heat or friction.

Many firework sounds are created on purpose. The sizzling, booms or screaming sounds that accompany certain fireworks are created using elements like organic salts, aluminum or titanium powder.

Sparklers can be used to make funny pictures. All you need is a totally dark setting, a sparkler to draw with and a camera recording a long exposure.

You can learn how to make your own sparklers from science websites.

A safer (better?) alternative could be to use glow sticks and glow necklaces which are non-toxic and can also last for up to 8 hours.

If sparklers can be dangerous, why do they use them on birthday cakes and at weddings?