Gunpowder is the first explosive to have been developed. Popularly listed as one of the "Four Great Inventions" of China, it was invented during the late Tang dynasty (9th century) while the earliest recorded chemical formula for gunpowder dates to the Song dynasty (11th century).

Gunpowder, also commonly known as black powder to distinguish it from modern smokeless powder, is the earliest known chemical explosive. It consists of a mixture of sulfur, charcoal (which is mostly carbon), and potassium nitrate (saltpeter).

2025年1月18日 · gunpowder, any of several low-explosive mixtures used as propelling charges in guns and as blasting agents in mining. The first such explosive was black powder, which consists of a mixture of saltpetre (potassium nitrate), sulfur, and charcoal.

2024年11月1日 · The invention of gunpowder is attributed to Chinese alchemists who, during the Tang Dynasty, were deeply immersed in experiments involving various chemical substances. Their primary goal was not to create an explosive material but to find a …

2023年11月1日 · Though gunpowder is an invention of undeniable importance, its origins and history are poorly understood. In the West, there was a centuries-long debate around gunpowder’s exact point of origin.

2019年7月3日 · Ancient alchemists in China spent centuries trying to discover an elixir of life that would render the user immortal. One important ingredient in many of the failed elixirs was saltpeter, also known as potassium nitrate.

2024年9月16日 · The invention of gunpowder originated in China, but its use and spread profoundly impacted civilizations across the world. Invention (9th century AD): Gunpowder was first invented in China during the Tang Dynasty (618–907 AD).

2019年2月20日 · Chinese Taoist alchemists were the major force behind the early invention of gunpowder. Emperor Wu Di (156-87 BCE) of the Han dynasty financed research done by the alchemists on the secrets of eternal life.

2008年4月7日 · Experimenting with life-lengthening elixirs around A.D. 850, Chinese alchemists instead discovered gunpowder. Their explosive invention would become the basis for almost every weapon used in...

2022年11月26日 · How did early gunpowder weapons evolve into guns? And how did gunpowder warfare differ between East and West in the medieval period? These are the questions we’ll answer in this article, and our starting point is the emergence of gunpowder itself. The invention of gunpowder. Gunpowder wasn’t developed as a military technology.