A rule of thumb to calculate how high an artillery shell will go is 1” diameter = 70 feet in height. So the average 1.75” shell will go approximately 120 feet in the air. A 3 inch shell (the largest allowed for consumers) will travel approximately 210 feet in the air.

Many historians believe that fireworks originally were developed in the second century B.C. in ancient Liuyang, China. It is believed that the first natural "firecrackers" were bamboo stalks that when thrown in a fire, would explode with a bang because of the overheating of the hollow air pockets in the bamboo.

The types of fireworks available to the public are multi-shot "cakes", Roman candles, single shot shooters, ground and wall spinners, fountains, cones, sparklers, and various novelties, such as smoke bombs and Pharaoh's serpents.

Report A component of an aerial display shell or mine. A report contains salute powder, a powerful pyrotechnic composition (usually flash powder) which explodes violently, producing a loud noise with the visual effect of a bright flash and smoke.