How many main components does gunpowder consist of?

Gunpowder, also known as black powder to distinguish it from modern smokeless powder, is the earliest known chemical explosive. It consists of a mixture of sulfur (S), charcoal (C), and potassium nitrate (saltpeter, KNO3). The sulfur and charcoal act as fuels while the saltpeter is an oxidizer.

Because of its incendiary properties and the amount of heat and gas volume that it generates, gunpowder has been widely used as a propellant in firearms, artillery, rockets, and fireworks, and as a blasting powder in quarrying, mining, and road building.

More Info: en.wikipedia.org

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15 Comments

seamus512

Thank you Star Trek and Mr Spock.

mikemerr

We actually made this while we were in high school when I was a young lad

LevibatteryCSA (Dave)

Hey I use to make my own gunpowder and used it at Civil War Reenactments, I use to make my own cannons.

dmarkc

Trixie - Rose, Sulfur has been the preferred spelling of the International Union of Pure and Applied Chemistry (IUPAC) since 1990, and is the default form employed by many scientific journals 1. The alternative spelling sulphur may still be found in common use in the UK and Commonwealth, especially by laypeople. By extension all sulfur-derived words are also spelled using the 'f' form. Ouch. They make it sound like a burn.