... which is made up one potassium atom (K), one nitrogen atom (N), and three oxygen atoms (O3). Since fire needs oxygen to burn the O3 is very important because it causes the KNO3 to release the oxygen, thus potassium nitrate oxidises the chemical reaction. This reaction is not impulsive and must be started by the heat of the match or something else hot. WHAT MAKES THE DIFFERENT COLOURS? Adding different inorganic/metallic salts to the gunpowder mixture generates the colours of a firework. Barium salts produce greens, strontium makes red, sodium makes yellow/orange, potassium makes purple. The whites and golds are made with mixtures of iron, magnesium, and aluminium and using copper salts produces blues, but this isn't all that happens. One way is when the shell explodes the flames (heat) gives the electrons of the atoms extra energy causing the electron to jump to a higher energy level (or shell). When the ...

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