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The Science of Fireworks

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The Science of Fireworks

When
June 25, 2026
10:30 AM - 12:00 PM
Location
Online

Registration

online – $3.75

The Science of Fireworks

• Matt Reilly
• Thursday
• 6/25/26
• 10:30 AM to 12:00 PM
• $3.75

Did you view the July 4th fireworks at a community park or perhaps via TV at the National Mall? If so, you probably wondered how such spectacular displays of colors and sounds are created. Join Senior Learners as we find answers. We will start with the ancient Chinese whose incendiaries made from honey led to the discovery of gunpowder. Learn how the loud bangs of fireworks originated with early photographers. Find out how an accident in a Nineteenth Century kitchen sparked a new chemistry for firework making. Discover why some fireworks whistle or make other unusual sounds. Watch up close as fireworks experts set oﬀ spectacular displays of thousands of coordinated explosions at exactly the right time. This course uses clips from several YouTube video, especially a lecture at the Royal Institution.

Please do not contact CF personnel about any Senior Learners, Inc. courses. Senior Learners, Inc. is independent of CF. We have the use of a classroom and support the CF Foundation with donations. If you have any questions about our courses or operations, please contact us: info@SeniorLearners.org, (352) 239–8780.