What do matches, cap guns, fireworks, and space travel have in common?   The chemistry of combustion reactions associated with each is similar:  it all began when the Chinese developed gunpowder 1000 years ago.

Original gunpowder, also called black powder, consists of a mixture of potassium nitrate (an oxidizing agent), carbon (a fuel), and sulfur (another fuel).  In the proper proportions, these substances undergo very rapid combustion in an enclosed, airless space.  In a fraction of a second, the oxidation of the carbon and sulfur produces gases, such as CO₂ and SO₂, which occupy a volume thousands of times greater than the powder.   The Chinese found that this very rapid increase in volume produced a considerable thrust when the black powder was placed into a narrow tube and then ignited.

Although black powder is no longer used for most of its original uses, the fireworks industry continues to use the old Chinese recipe, consuming about one-half million pounds per year.  Other chemicals are added to fireworks to give brilliant color effects: strontium nitrate produces red flames, barium nitrate produces green flames, iron filings produce gold sparks, and titanium produces white sparks, to name a few.

Some fireworks manufacturers use different oxidizing agents, such as ammonium perchlorate, and other fuels, such as powdered aluminum.  A mixture of aluminum perchlorate and aluminum is also used in the solid rocket boosters that launch American space shuttles.

Safety matches also rely on an oxidizer, potassium chlorate, and fuel, a blend of carbon, sulfur, and antimony sulfide.  The striking surface on a matchbook cover contains red phosphorus, which is easily ignited by the heat generated by friction. The heat from this reaction in turn ignites the mixture inside the match head.

The combustion reactions of matches and gunpowder are similar. (V. Holtgrewe)

The caps used in toy guns contain a mixture of potassium chlorate, red phosphorus, and sand.  When struck by the hammer of a cap gun, the sand provides friction to produce the heat that ignites the red phosphorus.  Heat produced by burning red phosphorus initiates the decomposition of potassium chlorate which in turn supplies additional oxygen to the burning red phosphorus.

Whitten/Davis/Peck:  General Chemistry with Qualitative Analysis,  5/e,  p. 380