Gunpowder was one of the most important powders in our life years ago. But how did it come to be so important? What are its uses? What is its chemical composition? How does it work? What is the chemical reaction? All of these questions about this important powder will be answered throughout this essay. .
Military History and Uses.
Even though the first to mix potassium nitrate and carbonaceous fuel into an explosive mixture was the Chinese, as they used this invention for fireworks, the true discovers of this magical powder are not fully known. Most will credit the Chinese, as they were the first to mix these compounds somewhere in the early 10th century; however, some also credit the Arabs, as by the end of the 13th century they had invented the very first gun, which used gunpowder to propel arrows through a bamboo shaft, which proved to be very effective and very deadly. Until as late as 1450, gunpowder was a compound made up of more then half potassium nitrate, one quarter sulfur, and one quarter charcoal. However, in 1488 the French further investigated the ratio of these three parts and came out with a much more effective powder that was more then 75% KNO3, 15% C, and only 10% S. .
This blueprint for making gunpowder remain unchanged all the way up until 1860, when a man named T.J Rodman discovered a new way of making this powder in a military arsenal in Philadelphia. He discovered that there was a great advantage that if one was to compress the powder charge into a pack with a diameter slightly less then that of the bore of a cannon, and add a central hole in the middle, the gunpowder would be much more powerful, meaning that bullets and cannons would shoot much farther. This is because the powder would now have initially small surface area, allowing the powder to increase in surface area as the combustion progressed, which would in turn delay the maximum amount of energy that is released by the powder until the shot had begun to travel.
It is generally determined that the discoverers of gunpowder were the Chinese. ... Which goes to show that while the Chinese most likely invented gunpowder it is the great thinkers of the Western world that made gunpowder into its most useful form. ... Still at this point gunpowder was not used in war. ... Gunpowder was able to change all of that though. ... The hard part of making gunpowder came to the saltpetre. ...
During the 1200's the use of gunpowder spread into Europe. ... Smokeless gunpowder was developed in the 1800's. ... Another type of gunpowder is colloided. ... Alfred Nobel in 1887 invented colloided gunpowder. ... Gunpowder works by causing and explosion. ...
Gunpowder Plot Essay Gunpowder plot is a poem written by Vernon Scannell. ... This gives a new meaning to the title "Gunpowder Plot". ... Verse 6 The poet uses the word "unhindered" which made me think that the man had been pushing his memories away because he didn't want to relive his fear but now his memory is unhindered and it was only waiting for something to come along and open the door and that bad memory came out, and all it took was a small scent of gunpowder. I wouldn't get the same fear as the man did because I have not had any personal experience of the war so t...
The Gunpowder plot 1605 The gunpowder plot was a very hideous idea, but was for a specific reason. ... It all started when Guffawed and his companions carried 2 tones of gunpowder into 1 of the caller that they had on rent. They got this specific cellar because it was right under the house of parliament.2 tones of gunpowder would surely blow up the house of parliament and everyone inside it. ... B.The plotters brought in 36 barrels of gunpowder what "you"re telling me that Robert Cecil, the best spy in Britain didn't see that". ...
The Gunpowder Plot of 1605 was a result of the inconsistent policies of King James I toward English Catholics. ... The Gunpowder Plot of 1605 proved to be a major setback to the status of the Catholic's in England. ... As a result of this frustration, the development of the Gunpowder Plot began. ... This extra time allowed Guy Fawkes to replace some of the old gunpowder and bring up more conspirators. ... The conspirators of the Gunpowder Plot consulted the Jesuit priests as a matter of conscience. ...
It was made of saltpeter and sulfur and would be called gunpowder or black-powder as it is commonly known. ... Now, without the invention of gunpowder our history would greatly change. ... These questions are just a few that would come up without the invention of gunpowder. ... Explosives first started, as I have stated, in China with the invention of gunpowder. ... He filled the tube with gunpowder or black-powder and put a pebble over the remaining end of the tube. ...
During the Sung dynasty, the first explosive mixture, gunpowder, was discovered. Gunpowder is made by mixing ground-up charcoal with sulfur and saltpeter, which was the old term for potassium nitrate (Anderson, Brown 15). It is believed that a Chinese cook discovered gunpowder accidentally. ... An unknown person found that if the gunpowder mixture was put inside of the bamboo tubes and thrown in the fire to be ignited, the gases produced by the burning gunpowder would blast the tube apart with a much louder and more powerful bang. ... In addition to the gunpowder and special color chemica...
For example, the Chinese invented gunpowder for the purpose of entertainment (Kaleidoscope), while the Europeans saw it as a weapon. The Chinese did not particularly wanted gunpowder to be used primarily for violence, but the thriving industries and trade in Europe prompted the latter to create new weaponry that would revolutionize the art of war. The usage of gunpowder varied for both the Chinese and the Europeans, based on what worked for them, but ultimately, the new usage of gunpowder has changed the way humans once saw it, as guns began to reign in the battlefield. The Chinese only knew t...
Powder Horns As with most inventions, the creation of the powder horn was born out of a basic need, to convey small amounts of gunpowder by a soldier or hunter in the 18th century. ... A powder horn needed to protect its contents from moisture or the spark from a fire or gun, and needed to act as a quick delivery device for transferring gunpowder to the intended gun. ... The butt plug could then be easily removed to add gunpowder to the horn. ... The plug in the smaller end could be removed and it acted as the spout of a funnel allowing gunpowder to be quickly transferred to the gun. ... C...
