Rocket Power

Rocket Power

It’s called “one of the four greatest inventions of ancient China.” It all began in the 9th century when gunpowder was invented by Chinese scientists; also known as Taoist alchemist. (Chinese 1) Historical books and writings prove that gunpowder was first made before the Tang Dynasty, between the years 618-907 AD. Through this period, recipes were written about “inflammable mixtures.” Some historians date the invention of gunpowder at 850 AD. (Four1) The Ancient Chinese were the founders of gunpowder. When a few ingredients were carefully ground together, the result was a highly flammable powder. The Chinese opened the door to a new beginning of weapons.
It was most likely discovered accidentally by alchemists who were experimenting with sulfurous mixtures in an attempt to create an elixir of life. (Kennedy 856) Although their purpose of experimentation was to find an outlet of life, finding the right chemicals was difficult. The Chinese started eliminating resources from the start. Since people started to be more knowledgeable of chemistry, they started studying certain fuels. After trial and error they managed to put three simple mixtures together to form what was later called gunpowder, also known as black powder. They combined sulfur, charcoal, and saltpeter. Sulfur is a nonmetallic element that exists in several forms, the ordinary one being a yellow rhombic crystalline solid, and that burns with a blue flame and a suffocating odor. It is used especially in making gunpowder and matches. Charcoal, however is a carbonaceous material obtained by heating wood or other organic substances in the absence of air. Saltpeter is the form of potassium nitrate, which occurs naturally, used in the manufacture of fireworks, fluxes, and gunpowder.
Charcoal, however, is not the only fuel that can be used. Sugar is sometimes used instead. This combination contains a fuel and an oxidizer, which supports the combustion of fuel, and sulfur. Putting these together...

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