While trying to find a life lengthening elixir Chinese alchemists invented the deadliest powder in the world. In the 9th Century Chinese alchemists were trying to find a potion of immortality. However they ended up finding a potion of death unlike anything else. The first ever mixture was 75 percent saltpeter or more commonly known as potassium nitrate, 15 percent sulfur, and 10 percent charcoal. After the invention of gunpowder the Chinese people initially used it for fireworks. It was not until much later used in war. The first use of gunpowder was fireworks. Fireworks are a key invention in the history of gunpowder. It was the first use of gunpowder and from the early 9th century until today fireworks are used to celebrate almost everything.
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The first weapon incorporating gunpowder was called the flying fire. Heather Whipps explains the first weapon using gunpowder:
Gunpowder was quickly put to use by the reigning Sung Dynasty against the Mongols, whose constant invasions into the country plagued the Chinese throughout the period. The Mongols were the first subject to flying fire – an arrow fixed with a tube of gunpowder that ignited and propel itself across enemy lines. More gunpowder-based weapons were invented by the Chinese and perfected against the Mongols in the next centuries, including the first cannons and grenades. (2)
Gunpowder remained a monopoly in China up until the 13th century, then the science was passed along the ancient Silk Road all the way to Europe and the Islamic world (Clark 1). With this newfound technology it began to be a deciding factor in many skirmishes and fights between countries or kingdoms (Ross 1). Whoever had gunpowder and could use it effectively usually won. But along the route gunpowder was reinvented using different mixtures and different calculations (Clark 1). By the 13th century gunpowder reached all of Europe, it soon was improved by many countries and kingdoms alike. They all were working on what kind of gunpowder would be the most effective and safe mixture. “Europeans are the first people to discover that by wetting the gunpowder during grinds they could produce a uniform paste …show more content…
It was far superior to the old black powder. The old black powder was worse for wear and was very bad if you inhaled the smoke. It also when you fired a gun blew a huge smoke cloud which gave away your position in battle. In the decline of black gunpowder, which is almost the same in raw form they used in the 18th century, the new smokeless gunpowder was more powerful and did not leave a smoke cloud behind. But still today movie directors use black gunpowder for movie scenes (Stempien 1). For example in the last Transformer: Dark of the Moon in one of the scenes they used almost a hundred pounds of black powder to do mini explosions (Stempien 1). Black powder is also still used in most of today’s fireworks, so black powder is here to stay for now but in the near future could be
The first weapon incorporating gunpowder was called the flying fire. Heather Whipps explains the first weapon using gunpowder:
Gunpowder was quickly put to use by the reigning Sung Dynasty against the Mongols, whose constant invasions into the country plagued the Chinese throughout the period. The Mongols were the first subject to flying fire – an arrow fixed with a tube of gunpowder that ignited and propel itself across enemy lines. More gunpowder-based weapons were invented by the Chinese and perfected against the Mongols in the next centuries, including the first cannons and grenades. (2)
Gunpowder remained a monopoly in China up until the 13th century, then the science was passed along the ancient Silk Road all the way to Europe and the Islamic world (Clark 1). With this newfound technology it began to be a deciding factor in many skirmishes and fights between countries or kingdoms (Ross 1). Whoever had gunpowder and could use it effectively usually won. But along the route gunpowder was reinvented using different mixtures and different calculations (Clark 1). By the 13th century gunpowder reached all of Europe, it soon was improved by many countries and kingdoms alike. They all were working on what kind of gunpowder would be the most effective and safe mixture. “Europeans are the first people to discover that by wetting the gunpowder during grinds they could produce a uniform paste …show more content…
It was far superior to the old black powder. The old black powder was worse for wear and was very bad if you inhaled the smoke. It also when you fired a gun blew a huge smoke cloud which gave away your position in battle. In the decline of black gunpowder, which is almost the same in raw form they used in the 18th century, the new smokeless gunpowder was more powerful and did not leave a smoke cloud behind. But still today movie directors use black gunpowder for movie scenes (Stempien 1). For example in the last Transformer: Dark of the Moon in one of the scenes they used almost a hundred pounds of black powder to do mini explosions (Stempien 1). Black powder is also still used in most of today’s fireworks, so black powder is here to stay for now but in the near future could be