Fireworks and Crackers

 We had our last week class after Diwali break, so kids were all in excitement to share how they celebrated their Diwali. Some had gone out of town whereas others spent valuable family time celebrating together bursting crackers . So, my question to them were


1. What crackers did you burst?
2. What is different about sparklers to crackers ?
3. Which ones produce colors & which ones make noise?
4. Why do certain crackers make louder noises than others?
5. What do the crackers have in them to produce colorful fireworks?
6. What are the colors  they have seen in the fireworks?

Kids had a fair idea and were able to answer some of the questions. 

To start off , we did the following activity to understand how sound vibrates in a cup and produces louder noise compared to the string alone. Then they could relate to why they hear loud noise when certain crackers burst.  

Sound amplification 


Materials

1. Paper cup -1.
2. string - 1 
3. paper clip -1

Procedure

1. Tie one end of the  string to the middle of the paper clip.
2. Try to pull the string using a wet paper towel and hear the sound.
3. Make a hole at the bottom of the paper cup 
4. Put the string through it with the  paper clip to hold the string in place.
5. Pull the string using a wet paper towel to hear the chicken sound.







Observation

Observe that the sound is louder (buk buk) when the string is attached to the cup compared to just doing it without the cup. The cup acts as the sounding board for pianos. It amplifies the sound.

Variation
 
While doing this we also tried blowing plastic bags, paper bags and trying to pop them to hear the noise level for each one of them. How the sizes of the bag and the material with which it was made produced different noise levels.

We then discussed how fireworks work in general and also about the airplane firework that Rishi got hurt with during this celebration. To understand how different colors are made we tested different salts such as calcium chloride, copper sulphate , sodium chloride ((salt) , boric acid. Kids were able to note the different colors produced in the process. We also briefly touched upon the smell that the fireworks give out as pollution.









Sodium in cooking salt makes it yellow

Calcium in Calcium chloride makes it orange color

Copper in Copper Sulphate in fire produces bluish green color



boron in the boric acid makes it glow in green color





To experience the effects of fireworks each one of them got a sparkle to light  and feel joyful. I hope next time when kids look  at the crackers or fireworks they will think of the science behind them.






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