What Three Processes Cause Fireworks to Emit Light?

What three processes cause fireworks to emit light? Actually, there are generally only two processes that cause fireworks to emit light- not three. Read on to find out what those two processes are.

There are currently two main ways by which chemical-based fireworks emit the light that is visible to a viewer. 

• The first is the process called "incandescence," which is concerned with heat and high temperatures and is commonly used for the incandescent light bulb. 
• The other process is "luminescence," which is concerned with cooler and lower temperatures.

Understanding Fireworks

Fireworks have evolved quite a bit from the first gunpowder-produced effects that brought a very loud sound and very limited light.  Technological advances and the addition of several key chemical compounds into the mix only now provide us with the spectacular fireworks that brilliantly light up the night sky. 

To make a vibrant, sparkling firework, four main components are needed:

• Something that will produce oxygen
• Something to fuel it
• Something to hold it together
• Something to give it color

So, how do luminescence and incandescence fit into this picture and why are they the two main processes that cause fireworks to emit light?

Incandescence from Fireworks

Incandescence is one of the processes by which fireworks emit light that we can see:

• The light emitted through Incandescence is produced through extreme heat, which when applied to another chemical compound can cause a bright glow that changes colors as the temperature intensifies. 
• Keeping the temperature controlled at a lower, but still incredibly hot, range will make the substance glow a red or orange shade. 
• When more heat is applied to the substance being used the temperature rises, and the substance may begin to emit a yellow shade or, at its hottest, a stark white light. 
• Because certain metals, like aluminum and titanium can burn very brightly under the extreme application of heat, they are often used to give a firework a specific color. 
• By these measures, fireworks can be made to emit the light in the incandescent spectrum.

Luminescence from Fireworks

Luminescence is another of the processes that cause fireworks to emit light:

• Extreme heat and high temperatures are attributed to incandescence, and what gives the light warmer colors like reds and yellows.  It is thus the low temperatures involved in the process of luminescence that gives a firework cooler shades of light, emitting instead blues and greens. 
• Photons, which produce the shades of light that are visible to the human eye, become unstable during the process of luminescence and determine the state of energy at which something remains.
• The level of energy and the temperature of the compound then will determine what color is emitted in the light.  Something at room temperature can be stabilized to a shade of green, while something at a higher temperature can be stabilized to a shade of blue.

So, now you know what processes cause fireworks to emit light and you are sure to enjoy any fireworks display all the more since you have knowledge of the science behind it.  By these two processes, incandescence and luminescence, fireworks are made to emit light in a wide range of bright, bold colors.