Overview

Black powder, now known as gunpowder, was the chief tool of war until the modern discovery of explosives such as nitrocellulose and nitroglycerin. While gunpowder is still used in mining and fireworks, it is a much less valuable commodity now than it was hundreds of years ago. Gunpowder is a mixture of potassium nitrate (saltpeter), carbon (charcoal), and sulfur. When combined in the proper amounts, the gray powder will burn rapidly or explode with enough force to hurl a projectile, if confined in a partially closed container, when touched with an open flame or hot metal.

While it may never be actually known for certain who invented the first explosive, there is ample evidence that it originated in China during the tenth century. The Chinese are believed to have initially used...