FORT WAYNE, Ind. (WFFT) — Fourth of July is upon us and many areas will have fireworks creating beautiful light shows in the skies.

Have you ever wondered how fireworks get their colors?

The answer is simple.

The colors in fireworks can be explained through chemistry.

The colors are created by the use of metal salts.

Strontium carbonate creates red fireworks.

Orange fireworks are caused by calcium chloride.

Sodium nitrate is used to create yellow fireworks.

Green fireworks result from the use of barium chloride.

Copper chloride creates blue fireworks.

Purple fireworks are created by using a mixture of strontium and copper compounds.

You can read more about what metal salts create which colors here.

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The metal salts used in fireworks range in size from peas to plums.

Then, they are packed into the shell of a firework.

Inside every firework, there's the star and aerial shell.

The star holds the metal salts and creates the color once it explodes.

The aerial shell holds gun powder, which shoots the firework into the sky once its ignited.

The lift charge is caused by a fast increase in heat and gas in a confined space.

It can send a firework 1,000 feet into the air.

A time-delayed fuse burns as the firework lifts off the ground.

About 5 seconds later, it explodes after reaching the core of the firework.

That's where the metal salts are stored.

You can find out more about fireworks here.