Short Questions
1. What is one of our favourite festivals in India?
Ans:- Deepavali, or Diwali, is one of our favourite festivals in India.
2. What is the science of fireworks technically called?
Ans:- The science of fireworks is technically called ‘pyrotechnics’.
3. Where does the word ‘pyrotechnics’ come from?
Ans:- It comes from the Greek word, ‘pyr’ meaning fire and ‘technics’ meaning an art.
4. Name the five pyrotechnic effects present in a household match.
Ans:- The five pyrotechnic effects are heat, smoke, light, gas and sound.
5. According to some historians, where was black powder invented?
Ans:- According to some historians, black powder was invented in India.
6. Who are generally considered the pioneers of pyrotechnics?
Ans:- The Chinese are generally considered the pioneers of pyrotechnics.
7. Who revealed the formula for black powder in the West, and when?
Ans:- An English monk, Roger Bacon, revealed the formula for black powder in 1242.
8. What is the basic formula (ratio) of black powder?
Ans:- It is a blend of potassium nitrate, charcoal and sulphur in the ratio of 75:15:10 by weight.
9. Which metals improved the brilliance of fireworks?
Ans:- The discovery of aluminium, magnesium and titanium improved the brilliance of fireworks.
10. In what two ways are colours formed in fireworks?
Ans:- Colours are formed in one of two ways: luminescence and incandescence.
11. How is incandescent light produced?
Ans:- Incandescent light is produced when a substance is heated so much that it begins to glow.
12. What fuel does a firework use, and with what does it burn?
Ans:- The fuel used is gun powder, and it burns using oxygen.
13. What are the raw materials required to manufacture fireworks?
Ans:- The raw materials required are fuel, binders, and oxidizers (to make it burn), and a few other materials.
14. From where did India import fireworks before the Second World War?
Ans:- India used to import fireworks from China.
15. Which city began manufacturing fireworks for Deepavali during the Second World War?
Ans:- The safety match producers of Sivakasi in Tamil Nadu began manufacturing fireworks for Deepavali.
Long Questions
1. What is pyrotechnics and what does it include?
Ans:- Pyrotechnics is the science of fireworks, from the Greek word ‘pyr’ meaning fire and ‘technics’ meaning an art. It includes not only fireworks but also a whole range of devices that use similar materials and principles, from safety matches that we use every day to solid fuel rocket boosters of the space shuttle.
2. Describe the development of black powder in India and its spread to the West.
Ans:- Some historians say that black powder was invented in India. Shukranti, written more than two thousand years ago, has references to weapons similar to guns and projectile weapons. However, the Chinese are generally considered the pioneers of pyrotechnics, and they developed black powder more than one thousand years ago. It took at least two hundred years for the knowledge to spread to the West, and it was only in 1242 that an English monk, Roger Bacon, revealed the formula for black powder. He considered it such a dangerous substance that he wrote of it in a code language.
3. What is the basic formula of black powder, and why is it considered special?
Ans:- The basic formula of black powder, or gun powder, has remained unchanged for centuries. It is a blend of potassium nitrate, charcoal and sulphur in the ratio of 75:15:10 by weight. It is almost the perfect combination, and no further improvements or alterations need to be made. Experts say that this might be the only chemical product still using the same age-old proportions and manufacturing techniques.
4. How have light and colour effects in fireworks improved over time?
Ans:- With the development of modern chemistry, light and colour effects have become common in fireworks. In the last century, the discovery of aluminium, magnesium and titanium, which burn at high temperatures emitting bright light, dramatically improved the brilliance of fireworks. Similarly, colours are a recent development. The principal colour emitters in pyrotechnics were identified after decades of research, and these colours are formed in one of two ways: luminescence and incandescence.
5. Explain how incandescent light is produced.
Ans:- Incandescent light is produced when a substance is heated so much that it begins to glow. Heat causes the substance to become hot and glow, initially emitting infra red, then red, orange, yellow, and white light as it becomes increasingly hotter. When the temperature of a firework is controlled, the glow of its metallic substances can be manipulated to be the desired colour at the proper time.
6. What is the principle behind a firework, and what is the actual manufacturing process?
Ans:- The principle behind any firework is that when heat is applied to fuel (the gun powder), it burns using oxygen. Because the fuel is packed tightly to keep the heat in, the burning takes place all of a sudden, which causes the characteristic loud noise. The actual manufacturing process is simple: the raw materials required are fuel, binders, oxidizers (to make it burn), and a few other materials. The ingredients are ground and mixed well, the mixture is pushed through a machine from which it comes out as long rolls or strips, and then rolled in cardboard or old newspapers with a fuse.
7. What is the greatest danger of pyrotechnics, and what are scientists trying to do about it?
Ans:- The greatest danger of pyrotechnics is that it deals with fire. The industry is notorious for its accidents, whether in the U.S.A., Japan or India. Though the mixture is stable if kept cool and dry, it can catch fire if heat is accidently applied, through too much friction sometimes, or from a spark or an impact. Scientists are looking for ways of making fireworks safer.
8. Describe how fireworks are manufactured in Sivakasi and the conditions there.
Ans:- In Sivakasi, fireworks are manufactured in a number of small units. Three months before the festival is the busiest time for these units, and fireworks are transported to every nook and corner of the country. However, the working conditions of these units are far from satisfactory. There are very few testing facilities for quality or uniformity, and hardly any safety measures in force. This is why we hear of accidents in Sivakasi year after year. It is also very difficult to get information on how to manufacture fireworks because it is not considered safe to give everybody the details; only a very few reliable persons are taught this art.
9. Why is it important to observe safety rules while playing with fireworks in India?
Ans:- In many countries, fireworks are not allowed to be used by individuals; only community displays, specially organized with the help of experts, are allowed with great care taken for safety. However, since even children are allowed to play with fireworks in India, it is important to observe certain safety rules so that accidents and injuries can be avoided.
10. What safety precautions should be taken while storing, handling and lighting fireworks?
Ans:- Fireworks should be stored, handled and lit with care. They should never be stored or unpacked near a flame, gas cylinder or heater. One should never wear long, loose clothes or nylon clothes when lighting crackers, since the powder in crackers is poisonous and should never be carried loose in your pocket or hand. Fireworks should never ever be lit inside a house. One must never bend over a firework when lighting it and never use fireworks to frighten people. If in spite of being careful you get a burn, you should go to a doctor instead of applying oil or ointment.
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