Happy 4th of July, everybody!
JULY 4 “ALL AMERICAN FOURTH OF JULY” FIREWORKS SPECTACULAR, put on by theCity of Palm Springsand POWER Baseball; 9:15pm (entry at 8pm). Fireworks will follow the Palm Springs POWER vs. the Novato Knicks at 6:05pm; Palm Springs Stadium, 1901 E. Baristo Rd. Palm Springs; Free Admission to fireworks; game tickets $7 Adults, $6 kids and seniors; (760)323-8272palmspringspowerbaseball.com
JULY 4 FOURTH OF JULY CELEBRATION7:15, live concert 9-9:30pm, fireworks; Palm Desert Civic Center, 73-510 Fred Waring Dr., Palm Desert; (760)346-0611;cityofpalmdesert.org
JULY 4 ROTARY CLUB FIREWORKS SHOW & CELEBRATION6pm concert & Color Guard, 9pm fireworks; Yucca Valley High School football field, Yucca Valley; (760)365-0444.
Oh, and here’s a simple table we found on Wikipedia, explaining the chemistry of fireworks:
Aluminum Aluminum is used to produce silver and white flames and sparks. It is a common component of sparklers. silver, white Barium Barium is used to create green colors in fireworks, and it can also help stabilize other volatile elements. green Carbon Carbon is one of the main components of black powder, which is used as a propellant in fireworks. Carbon provides the fuel for a firework. Common forms include carbon black, sugar, or starch. Calcium Calcium is used to deepen firework colors. Calcium salts produce orange fireworks. orange Chlorine Chlorine is an important component of many oxidizers in fireworks. Several of the metal salts that produce colors contain chlorine. Cesium Cesium compounds help to oxidize firework mixtures. Cesium compounds produce an indigo color in fireworks. indigo Copper Copper produces blue-green colors in fireworks and halides of copper are used to make shades of blue. blue-green, blue Iron Iron is used to produce sparks. The heat of the metal determines the color of the sparks. yellow Potassium Potassium compounds help to oxidize firework mixtures. Potassium nitrate, potassium chlorate, and potassium perchlorate are all important oxidizers. The potassium content can impart a violet-pink color to the sparks. violet-pink Lithium Lithium is a metal that is used to impart a red color to fireworks. Lithium carbonate, in particular, is a common colorant. red Magnesium Magnesium burns a very bright white, so it is used to add white sparks or improve the overall brilliance of a firework. white Sodium Sodium imparts a yellow color to fireworks, however, the color is often so bright that it frequently masks less intense colors. yellow Oxygen Fireworks include oxidizers, which are substances that produce oxygen in order for burning to occur. The oxidizers are usually nitrates, chlorates, or perchlorates. Sometimes the same substance is used to provide oxygen and color. Phosphorus Phosphorus burns spontaneously in air and is also responsible for some glow in the dark effects. It may be a component of a firework’s fuel. Rubidium Rubidium compounds help to oxidize firework mixtures. Rubidium compounds produce a violet-red color in fireworks. violet-red Sulfur Sulfur is a component of black powder, and as such, it is found in a firework’s propellant/fuel. Antimony Antimony is used to create firework glitter effects. white Strontium Strontium salts impart a red color to fireworks. Strontium compounds are also important for stabilizing fireworks mixtures. red Titanium Titanium metal can be burned as powder or flakes to produce silver sparks. silver Zinc Zinc is a bluish white metal that is used to create smoke effects for fireworks and other pyrotechnic devices.
Be safe out there, folks.
