izer , ▁and ▁a ▁small ▁amount ▁of ▁organ ic ▁fuel . ▁Met all ic ▁fu els ▁include ▁mag nes ium , ▁al umin um , ▁and ▁occasionally ▁z ir con ium . ▁The ▁ox id izer ▁is ▁a ▁salt ▁mole c ule ▁which ▁contains ▁o xygen ▁combined ▁with ▁a ▁specific ▁atom ▁responsible ▁for ▁the ▁desired ▁color ▁output . ▁ ▁Upon ▁ign ition , ▁the ▁he ated ▁salt ▁releases ▁its ▁o xygen ▁to ▁sust ain ▁comb ust ion ▁of ▁the ▁fuel ▁in ▁the ▁mixture . ▁ ▁The ▁color - em itting ▁atom ▁in ▁the ▁salt ▁is ▁also ▁released ▁and ▁react s ▁chem ically ▁with ▁excess ▁o xygen ▁providing ▁the ▁source ▁of ▁the ▁colored ▁fl ame . ▁ ▁In ▁NAT O ▁standard ▁am mun ition ▁( including ▁US ), ▁the ▁ox id izer ▁salt ▁is ▁usually ▁a ▁mixture ▁of ▁str ont ium ▁comp ounds ▁( nit rate , ▁per ox ide , ▁etc .) ▁and ▁the ▁met all ic ▁fuel ▁is ▁mag nes ium . ▁Burn ing ▁str ont ium ▁yields ▁a ▁bright ▁red ▁light . ▁Russian ▁and ▁Chinese ▁trac er ▁am mun ition ▁generates ▁green ▁light ▁using ▁b arium ▁sal ts . ▁An ▁ox id izer ▁and ▁met all ic ▁fuel ▁alone , ▁however , ▁do ▁not ▁make ▁a ▁practical ▁py rote chn ic ▁for ▁the ▁purposes ▁of ▁producing ▁colored ▁light . ▁The ▁reaction ▁is ▁too ▁ener get ic , ▁cons uming ▁all ▁materials ▁in ▁one ▁big ▁flash ▁of ▁white ▁light white ▁light ▁being ▁the ▁characteristic ▁output ▁of ▁mag nes ium - ox ide