Historical
Development It may never be known with certainty
who invented the first explosive, black powder, which is a mixture of saltpetre (potassium
nitrate), sulfur, and charcoal (carbon). The consensus is that it originated in China in
the 10th century, but that its use there was almost exclusively in fireworks and signals.
It is possible that the Chinese also used black powder in bombs for military purposes, and
there is written record that in the mid-13th century they put it in bamboo tubes to propel
stone projectiles.
There is, however, some evidence that the Arabs invented
black powder. By about 1300, certainly, they had developed the first real gun, a bamboo
tube reinforced with iron, which used a charge of black powder to fire an arrow. |