Beyond the BOOM! How Fireworks Work

Beyond the Boom! How Fireworks Work ANNUAL FIREWORKS INDUSTRY REVENUE Pounds of fireworks purchased annually in the United States $940 MILLION 213.12 LBS 10 LBS Dissecting the Display The shell is launched from a mortar In the bottom of the mortar, there is a bursting charge of black powder that explodes to launch the shell Bursting charge: a tube at the center of the shell packed with black powder Stars: compounds that, when ignited, produce the pyrotechnic When the bursting charge fires, it lights the shell's fuse effect Black powder: helps ignite and disperse the stars The shell's fuse burns until its targeted altitude, then ignites the bursting charge Learning to Launch How High? How Big? Flight path of shells fired at a 75-degree angle Shell burst sizes are usually 45 feet in diameter for every inch in shell size 1200 12 in 1100 1000 10 in 90 FEET - 900 FOR A 2-INCH SHELL BURST 800 700 600 5 in 500 400 300 200 100 360 FEET 100 200 300 400 500 600 700 FOR AN 8-INCH SHELL BURST (FEET) How Fast? Shell Sizes and Their Initial Mortar Velocities 481 ft/s 500 393 ft/s 375 287.5 ft/s 263 ft/s 235 ft/s 250 203.5 ft/s 186 ft/s 166 ft/s 144 ft/s 117.5 ft/s 125 2 in 3 in 4 in 5 in 6 in 8 in 10 in 12 in 24 in 36 in (SHELL SIZE) Witnessing the Wonder A Breakdown of 6 Spectacular Fireworks Displays New York City, NY Macy's Fourth of July Spectacular 2012 ` = 1,000 SHELLS 40,000 SHELLS launched from six barges over the Hudson River, avg 1,600 shells per minute Boston, MA July Fourth Boston Pops Fireworks Spectacular 2012 Seattle, WA Seattle's Family 4th 2012 15,000 SHELLS 2,400 SHELLS launched from seven barges Washington, DC A Capitol Fourth 2012 = 3 TONS 33 TONS of 3,000 "high end" fireworks Nashville, TN Let Freedom Sing! 2012 Addison, TX Kaboom Town! 2012 7 TONS consisting of 25,000 fireworks with shells up to 10 inches in diameter 0.67 TONS or over 1,500 pounds of fireworks How Long? Estimated Cost NYC NASHVILLE $ 6.000.000 O NYC O DC O BOSTON 4 NASHVILLE $ 500,000 6 SEATTLE O ADDISON 25 MINUTES 23 MINUTES $ 250,000 $ 2,700,000 $ 550,000 $ 220,000 DC SEATTLE 18 MINUTES 21 MINUTES BOSTON ADDISON 21 MINUTES 30 MINUTES Spectators NYC Boston 3,000,000 SPECTATORS 8,000,000 TV VIEWERS 500,000 SPECTATORS 7,000,000 TV VIEWERS Nashville Seattle Addison DC 250,000 SPECTATORS 200,000 100,000 500,000 500,000 SPECTATORS SPECTATORS SPECTATORS (NOT BAD FORA TOWN OF 15,000!) 11.000.000 TV VIEWERS TV VIEWERS = 750,000 SPECTATORS = 750,000 TV VIEWERS Have a fun and safe Fourth of July! GHERGICH&Co. americanprofile.com bloomberg.com forbes.com foxbusiness.com library.thinkquest.org nowplayingnashville.com science.howstuffworks.com statisticbrain.com travelchannel.com 000000 - 00000 - (FEET) (FEET PER SECOND)