A look at the science behind fireworks

It was recently Bonfire night (otherwise known as Guy Fawkes Night) so my father and I went to watch the local annual fireworks display. About part-way through I started to wonder how they work. How are such vibrant colours produced? How high do they explode and how is this calculated?

Fireworks! The green, red and gold sparks stand out particularly well on a black background.
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