What is Black Powder?

Black powder is one of the four major inventions in ancient China. It has a history of more than 1,000 years. Black powder is a substance that can burn quickly and regularly under the action of appropriate external energy and generate a lot of high-temperature gas. In the military, it is mainly used as the propellant of guns, artillery shells, and propellants of rockets and other driving sources of energy. It is an important part of ammunition. Gunpowder was mainly used in medicine at first, which can be seen from the word "medicine" after its name. Later, gunpowder was passed to Europe before being used in military.

Black powder

Black powder is ancient in China

When the black powder is on fire, the following chemical reactions occur:

2KNO ₃ + S + 3C ==== K ₂ S + N ² + 3CO ²

Potassium nitrate releases the liberated oxygen, which causes the charcoal and sulfur to burn violently, and instantly generates a large amount of heat and gases such as nitrogen and carbon dioxide. Due to the rapid expansion of the volume, the pressure increased sharply, and an explosion occurred. It is estimated that when every 4 grams of black powder is on fire, it can produce 280 liters of gas, and its volume can expand nearly 10,000 times. In a limited space, the gas expands rapidly when heated, causing an explosion. During the explosion, particles of solid products were dispersed in the gas, so a large amount of smoke was generated. Because K2S solids are generated during the explosion, many dense smoke often come out, so it is named black powder.

Black powder is a civilian explosive. The instantaneous temperature of deflagration can reach more than 1000 , and its destructive power is extremely strong. Black powder is highly sensitive and flammable, and Mars can ignite.

The products of the burning of black powder are mostly carbon dioxide and water, and

China was the earliest invention

After a period of exploration, gunpowder was put into practical use. The initial use of gunpowder was not military, but acrobatic performances in the circuses of the Song dynasty army, and fireworks acrobatics in puppet shows-"Medicine Fat" Song performances "gong", "hard ghost", "mute opera" "Acrobatic programs such as" "use the newly-emerged gunpowder products" explosion "and" spit fire "to create a mysterious atmosphere. The Song people also performed illusions with gunpowder, such as spraying fireworks and clouds to slap people and change things, in order to receive magical blurring effect! Gunpowder was introduced into medicine and became a medicine for the treatment of sore ringworm, insecticide and moisture plague.

Around the end of the Tang Dynasty in the early 10th century, gunpowder was used in war. Gunpowder was introduced into the military and became a new type of weapon with great power, and caused major changes in strategy, tactics, and military technology. Early gunpowder weapons,

As early as the 8th and 9th centuries, together with the knowledge of medicine and alchemy, nitrate was also transmitted from China to Arabia. At the time, the Arabs called it "Chinese Snow," and the Persians called it "Chinese Salt." They only know about using nitrate to cure diseases, metallurgy and make glass. 13th century gunpowder was introduced to Arab countries by merchants through India. The Greeks knew about gunpowder by translating Arabic books. Gunpowder weapons were passed to the Arab countries through the war, Genghis Khan's West Expedition, and the Mongolian army used gunpowder weapons. In 1260 AD, Yuan Shizu s army was defeated during the battle with Syria. The Arabs seized gunpowder weapons such as rockets, poison cans, artillery, and quake mines to master the manufacture and use of gunpowder weapons. The Arabs had a long war with some European countries. The Arabs used gunpowder weapons during the war. For example, the Arabs used gunpowder weapons when they attacked the city of Basha in Spain. During the war with Arab countries, Europeans gradually mastered the technology of making gunpowder and gunpowder weapons.

The introduction of gunpowder and gunpowder weapons into Europe "has revolutionized not only the method of war itself, but also the political relationship between domination and slavery." "The stone walls of the aristocratic castle that could not be broken before could not bear the cannons of the citizens. The bullets of the citizens penetrated the knight's armor. The rule of the aristocracy came to an end with the noble cavalry wearing armor. With the development of capitalism, Elite artillery was manufactured in European factories, equipped with a powerful fleet, set sail, and conquered the new colony `` `` ``. "

The widespread use of gunpowder and gunpowder weapons is an epoch-making advancement in the history of world ordnance and has revolutionized the entire method of warfare! China's gunpowder has advanced the course of world history.