Gunpowder
Revision as of 07:20, 24 July 2013 by (username removed)
Description
A rapidly burning material used as a propellant in guns and rifles. Gunpowder was invented in China in the 9th century. It is composed of a mixture of potassium nitrate (75 %), sulfur (10 %), and charcoal (15 %). Gunpowder burns inefficiently leaving copious residues of soot and alkaline potassium hydroxides. If left uncleaned after firing, the residues will rapidly degrade the barrel.
Synonyms and Related Terms
black powder; propellant; smokeless powder; krudt (Dan.); Schwarzpulver (Deut.); Schießpulver (Deut.); pólvora (Esp.); krutt (Nor.); buskruit (Ned.); proch (Pol.); krut (Sven.)
Authority
- Art and Architecture Thesaurus Online, http://www.getty.edu/research/tools/vocabulary/aat/, J. Paul Getty Trust, Los Angeles, 2000
- Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia, at http://www.wikipedia.com Comment: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gunpowder (Accessed Nov. 9, 2005)