Gunpowder

Matthew Rice

Composition

• Sulfur, Charcoal, potassium nitrate.• Used primarily for the propulsion of bullets in

firearms, and in Fireworks. • Is known as a low level explosive as opposed to

TNT which

Origins• It was invented by Chinese Alchemist in

the early 9th century. • Contrary to popular belief, the Chinese

used if for more than just fireworks, it was also used in the first rockets, Fire arrow, and primitive guns as well as hand grenades.

Spread

• From China it spread to the Islamic world sometime between the 11th and 13th centuries eventually it reached Europe in the Medieval ages.

• The UK no longer makes its own gun powder, it imports it from various Eastern

Nations.

• Interesting questions could be asked if gun powder had never been invented. Would Europe have still become the dominate force in the world? Would Cortez have been able to conquer South America? Would weaponry have progressed as far as it has?

closing

• The development of TNT relied heavily on knowledge of Gun powder and the chemical workings.

• In a way China’s invention of gun powder is directly responsible for its own downfall at the hands of the Europeans superior weaponry by supplying them with the crucial ingredient, without gun powder guns are just shiny sticks.