gunpowder

Also known as black powder

AI overview

Gunpowder is a mixture of chemical substances that, when ignited, produces a rapid explosion and was historically the primary propellant used in firearms and cannons. It played a crucial role in military history and the development of weapons technology, particularly from its invention through the era of muzzle-loading firearms.

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Wikidata facts

Image: 2023 Czarny proch Vesuvit LC (3).jpg

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Commons category: Gunpowder
time of discovery or invention: 0900-00-00
P8168: Porthidium hespere

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~54 min read

Article

25 sections

Contents

Effect
History
China
Middle East
Europe
India
Southeast Asia
Historiography
Components
Other compositions
Sulfur-free powders
Smokeless powders
Granularity
Serpentine
Corning
Modern types
Chemistry
Production
Legal status
Other uses
See also
Footnotes
Notes
References
External links

Gunpowder, commonly referred to as black powder to distinguish it from modern smokeless powder, is the earliest known chemical explosive. It consists of a mixture of sulfur, charcoal (which is mostly carbon), and potassium nitrate (saltpeter). The sulfur and charcoal act as fuels, while the saltpeter is an oxidizer. Gunpowder has been widely used as a propellant in firearms, artillery, rocketry, and pyrotechnics, including use as a blasting agent for explosives in quarrying, mining, building pipelines, tunnels, and roads.