Science

Explosives

By Ginny (P7)
 What is Gunpowder
Made of:

• Potassium nitrate, Sulphur and best

refined willow charcoal.

How it works

• It's very reactive with oxygen.

• When enough heat is applied, either
externally or from itself, the reaction
progresses very rapidly and the
gunpowder "explodes”.
• Gunpowder consists of a fuel and an
oxidizer mixed together- it does not
need additional oxygen.
• When triggered by heat, the fuel and
oxidizer combine rapidly, producing
large quantities of hot, expanding gas.
• This gas pushes the bullet out of the
barrel.
 How do matches light…
• In the tip of a match
stick there is a mixture
of antimony sulphide and
sulphur.

• In the sides of the

matchbox there is
potassium.

• While striking, a chemical

reaction occurs resulting
in the production of a lot
•And so the match catches fire.
of heat…
Dynamite
• Dynamite is an explosive material made
up of nitroglycerin, originally using
diatomaceous earth or another
absorbent substance such as sawdust.
• It was invented by Swedish chemist and
engineer Alfred Nobel.
• It is usually sold in the form of a stick.
• Dynamite is considered a high explosive,
which means it detonates rather
than deflagrates.

It is used for…
• Dynamite is mainly used in
mining, quarrying, and construction
industries and has had historical use in
warfare, but it has become old-
fashioned, nowadays its equivalent is
either bombs or nuclear weapons!!
 Reference
• http://www.publicbookshelf.com/public_html/The_Household_Cyclopedia_of_General_Inform
ation/whatisgu_cfb.html

• http://wiki.answers.com/Q/What_is_gunpowder_made_of#ixzz1AdIpQjij
• http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gunpowder
• http://monkeytree.org/silkroad/gunpowder/china3.html
• http://www.google.co.uk/search?hl=en&q=what+is+gunpowder+used+for&aq=0&aqi=g2g-
v2&aql=&oq=what+is+gunpowder+used+&gs_rfai=
• http://wiki.answers.com/Q/How_does_gunpowder_work#ixzz1AhcuEaYr
• http://in.answers.yahoo.com/question/index?qid=20080504212417AAlxSy4
• http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dynamite
• http://www2.montana.edu/policy/student_trips/images/dynamite.jpg
• http://www.google.co.uk
• http://www.taberconsulting.com/shared/images/backgrounds/match.jpg
• http://www.tonyboon.co.uk/imgs/images/match4.jpg
• http://www.wilkinsonsofnorwich.com/Images/Uploads/gunpowder.jpg
• http://photos.travelblog.org/Photos/5107/115082/f/781880-Fun-with-dynamite-2.jpg