Chemistry 1010 Explosives

Black Powder Early explosives were made from mixing pure elements and salts into a combustible powder. 15 % wood charcoal 10 % sulfur 75 % salt peter (KNO 3 – From Bird Droppings)

Black Powder Chemical Reaction 10 KNO C + 4 S  5 CO + 5 CO N 2 + K 2 CO K 2 SO 4 + K 2 S gases From yahoo images smoke

Why Do Things Explode Demo – Vinegar and Baking Soda From yahoo images

Firecracker Why does it make the noise? From yahoo images

So How Does A Bullet Work? From yahoo images

High Explosives The discovery of Gun Cotton From yahoo images

High Explosives Discovery of nitroglycerine 1867 Alfred Nobel patented nitroglycerine too unstable for real use in blasting and warfare When mixed with charcoal or silicon it is stable This is called dynamite These discoveries brought Nobel a lot of money In his will, he left money to start the Nobel Prize This is still awarded annually to great scientists

What Makes an Explosive Molecule with highly strained bonds A molecule with weakly bonded atoms Bonds should give off lots of energy when broken A molecule that when reacted produces products with very strong bonds

Energy released is the difference in energy given off when a bond breaks and the energy absorbed when a bond forms Weak Bond

High Explosives Trinitrophenols – explosive due to the easily broken N-O bond picric acid Picric acid was a very unstable explosive which would explode unexpectedly

Trinitrotoluene (TNT) TNT is more stable and need detonation to explode – better bombs

C4 Explosive See How stuff works dot com – See youtube