What makes a sparkler throw off its bright, branching sparks?
Show answer & explanation
Answer: Tiny bits of metal burn as they fly out
Tiny bits of metal burn as they fly out ✓ — A sparkler's coating mixes metal powder, like iron or aluminum, with a chemical that supplies oxygen. As it burns, bits of metal fly out and keep burning in the air, glowing white-hot and splitting into branching sparks.
The wire glows so hot that it sheds sparks — The wire is just a holder and doesn't shed the sparks; it's what remains after the coating burns away. The sparks are burning metal powder from the coating.
Electricity flows through the wire — A sparkler has no battery or circuit, so no electricity flows through it. The light comes from burning metal powder.
Go deeper: Black-body radiation
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