/oss/taxonomy/term/5670/all en /oss/article/technology-you-asked-general-science/how-do-sparklers-work <p>You stick them into a birthday cake, stand back and revel in the brilliant shower of sparks. What you are witnessing are glowing metal particles, usually aluminum, but iron titanium, zinc or magnesium can also be used. They glow because they are undergoing combustion. In other words, the little metallic particles are burning, undergoing a reaction with oxygen to form metal oxides.</p> Fri, 17 Sep 2021 20:41:28 +0000 Joe Schwarcz PhD 8851 at /oss