How do they make fireworks that assume a specific shape when they go off?

Question

How do they make fireworks that assume a specific shape when they go off?

In: Technology

Answer 1

Those types of fireworks are usually spherical (basically a big ball that gets launched out of a mortar)

In the the center of the ball is an explosive charge, and surrounding that explosive charge are hundreds of smaller spheres called ‘stars’ that burn brightly when set on fire. Depending on what each of the stars are made of they can be made to burn with a different colour.

So, if you want a particular shape, you just arrange the stars in that pattern. When the explosive charge in the middle goes off, the stars get ignited and the explosion throws them all outwards at the same speed.