8/3/2019 media release - IYC celebrations start with a bang!

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MEDIA RELEASE

30 December 2010

International Year of Chemistry celebrations start with a bang!

International Year of Chemistry 2011 celebrations will commence across the country on the stroke of

the New Year with massive fireworks displays in every major city ensuring every party has real chemistry.

As fireworks displays herald the start of the New Year across the nation, the spectacular explosions which have become such a mainstay of New Year festivities will mark the 2011 International Year of Chemistrys first demonstration of chemistry in action.

The International Year of Chemistry 2011 (IYC 2011) is a worldwide celebration of the achievements of chemistry and its contributions to the well being of humankind.

The IYC 2011 is an initiative of IUPAC, the International Union of Pure and Applied Chemistry, and of UNESCO, the United Nations Educational, Scientific, and Cultural Organization.

IUPAC Secretary General Professor David Black, who is based at the University of NSW School of Chemistry, said fireworks were only possible due to chemistry.

Not only are fireworks themselves chemical, but people watching on television are dependent on the chemistry involved in that technology, Prof Black said.

Thousands of people will photograph the fireworks, making use of the chemistry intrinsic to colour photography, be it traditional or digital. Even those who just look at the fireworks to enjoy the wonderful colours will do so because of the chemistry involved in vision itself.

Most historians agree that the Chinese invented fireworks in the 9th century when they discovered how to make gunpowder. Until the 19th century, however, fireworks lacked colour.

8/3/2019 media release - IYC celebrations start with a bang!

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Creating colours in a firework is a complex chemistry involving salts that can produce brilliant colours

strontium burns red; copper makes blue; barium glows green; and sodium, yellow. Magnesium, aluminium and titanium give off white sparkles or a flash.

Under the theme Chemistryour life, our future , the IYC 2011 will reach across the globe in a bid to increase the publics appreciation of chemistry in meeting world needs, to encourage interest in chemistry among young people, and to generate enthusiasm for the creative future of chemistry.

The year 2011 coincides with the 100th anniversary of the Nobel Prize for Chemistry awarded to Madame Marie Curie and celebrates the contributions of women to science. The year is also the 100th anniversary of the founding of the International Association of Chemical Societies, highlighting the benefits of international scientific collaboration.

In Australia, the IYC 2011 celebrations are being spearheaded by the Royal Australian Chemical Institute (RACI). For more information about the IYC 2011 Australia and how you can get involved visit www.iyc2011.org.au .

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For more information please contact Simone Holzapfel on 0417 656 668

Prof David Black, Secretary General, IUPAC Ph: 02 9663 2116 or 0400 451 791

The Chemistry of Fireworks, IYC 2011, link:

http://www.facebook.com/video/video.php?v=253766157753&oid=128264461150