Research Paper On Gunpowder

Gunpowder, or black powder, is a flammable powder and considered a “low explosive”. It consists of a mixture of Sulfur, Charcoal powder, and Potassium Nitrate (saltpeter). When put under pressure and lit, it will deflagrate and explode. Gunpowder was widely used in China in hand cannons (early firearms) and firecrackers (early missiles). The earliest recorded usage of gunpowder in a weapon were Chinese land mines developed in the 9th century. Gunpowder is not widely used as an explosive today, however, because more sophisticated explosives have been invented, such as plastic explosives (C4s) and nitro-explosives(ANFO explosives). Gunpowder looks like a grey-silver dust-like powder (shown below). It only retains its value as a firestarter in bullets.
However, they instead created the first explosive powder. In the texts that they wrote, which are dated back to 9th Century China, they quote “Some have heated together sulfur, realgar and saltpeter with honey; smoke and flames result, so that their hands and faces have been burnt, and even the whole house where they were working burned down.” They called the new powder “火药”, or “Fire Medicine”. When the Mongols invaded China, the Chinese used gunpowder-based weapons, such as hand cannons, firecrackers, and early grenades. When the Mongols finally conquered China, the Yuan dynasty was founded, and was led originally by Kublai Khan. Gunpowder was invented sometime during the Kingdom of Dali, which lasted from the year 937 until the Mongols conquered it in