Wait a second!
More handpicked essays just for you.
More handpicked essays just for you.
About gunpowder
Don’t take our word for it - see why 10 million students trust us with their essay needs.
During the ninth century, Chinese chemists were trying to make an immortality potion, but instead Li Tian made a highly flammable powder and this powder was used as defense and other military needs such as bombs,fireworks, guns and fire lances. Li Tians invention changed the way of everything we do in life, both good and bad things. Gunpowder is called huo yao, which means flaming medicine. Unlike paper and printing, the birth of gunpowder was accidental. It was invented by alchemists who were trying to make an elixir of immortality. It was a mixture of charcoal, sulphur, and saltpeter. Near the end of the Tang Dynasty, gunpowder was being used for military affairs. Frequent wars drove the development of weapons. The 12th and 13th
centuries, gunpowder spread to the Arab countries, then Greece, other European countries, and finally all over the world.
Introduction(refer to pages 93-94): Many people had turning points. But not everyone had an impact on their country. Feng Ru from “Father of Chinese Aviation”, Jackie Robinson from “I never had it made”, and Melba Beals from “ Warriors Don’t Cry” all faced turning points and had an impact or their country. Aviation, Baseball, and schools were not the sam always 3 people named Feng Ru, Jackie Robinson, Melba Beals all had turning points in their lifetime and had an impact on their country or society.
During the 16th and 17th century, the Middle East saw the rise of the “Gunpowder Dynasties”. This included the Ottoman Empire, the Safavids of Persia, and the Mughals. Simply put, these civilizations were the first in the Mediterranean to use gunpowder weapons including guns and cannons. However, it did not stop there, with the use of gunpowder came the rise of new technologies in metallurgy, mining, and weapon design. The use of gunpowder had arrived in the Middle East due to the Mongols who first witnessed its use in China. The only other empires which used gunpowder at the time were Britain and the Netherlands. The use of gunpowder allowed the three empires of the Muslim world to achieve things they previously could not and led to many advances and dominance in the region. At the same time however, it also fragmented the Mediterranean. As well, contrary to what some may assume, all of the gunpowder empires were not Arab, they consisted of newcomers to the Middle East. With all this in mind, an examination of the similarities and differences between the empires and the difference they made in the Muslim world for centuries to come is vital.
Can you ponder what it would be like to be an inventor of a weapon that helped or changed how you fought and won wars, or can you imagine that you are highly recommended for your inventing ability to improve someone else’s work? If you were so skilled and dedicated to your nation that you have been in different groups that support the United States, such as the Colorado Army National Guard, the Corps of Engineers and the Army Branch of Chemical Warfare Service. How about being that one person that creates a chemical substance that would help military and civilian authorities past and present to take control of a hostel situation without using lethal force? How would you like to be the one who made such an impact while serving in the Military for your inventions, do to your hard work and dedication gets you inducted into the Chemical Corps Hall of Fame, or be that Soldier the United States Army would ask you back to service after retiring, well Colonel Lewis McBride can say he did just that.
middle of paper ... ... The Web. 22 Feb. 2014. http://www.chemheritage.org/discover/online-resources/chemistry-in-history>.
Soldiers were ordered to load and they would take a cartridge and rip it open. Sometimes they would open them with their own teeth. After they opened it, they poured powder into the pan of the firing mechanism to fill it up. They would pour the main portion of the powder down into the barrel, and then they folded paper and put it into the barrel and dropped the ball at the top. They used the ramrod under the barrel of the musket to...
Today we can look around ourselves and see thousands of technical innovations that make life easier; But if we take a step back and ask ourselves “How?” we will soon realize that most often, these technological advancements did not just “poof” into existence, but are usually the outcome of building upon yesterday’s technology. If we follow this cycle back into time, we can attribute almost any modern day invention to an ancient civilization during its golden age. China was no exception. China’s Song and Tang dynasties fostered scientific advances comparable to Rome’s during its Pax Romana. The most significant and impacting of these were the development of primitive gunpowder and porcelain of the Tang and paper money, and the magnetic compass of the Song Dynasties. Although these may seem very far off, if you look hard enough, you can see traces of their impacts in society today because most of the advancements today we owe to them.
In 1044 AD Zeng Gongliang and Yang Weide wrote a treatise called “Wujing Zongyao” or “Collection of the Most Important Military Techniques” in which several formulas for making powerful blasting powder with a large percentage of nitrate were contained. These experiments with and improvements of gunpowder formulas led to more powerful weapons, including bombs (Needham, Joseph (1986e), Science and Civilisation in China: Volume 5, Chemistry and Chemical Technology, Part 7: Military Technology; The Gunpowder Epic, Cambridge: Cambridge University
The French were the first to start experimenting on chemical agents in 1912. They first used it on their people as riot control to capture criminals that who had robbed a bank. They used 26 millimeter grenades filled with chemical agents into the center of the group criminals they were attempting to apprehend. It was not said if it was effective but continued to look into using it for other means. However, the Germans at this time had not been interested in producing any kinds of chemical weapons.
Li Si The "Historical Records," written by Sima Qian, is a historical account which showcases how the corrupted legalist system of the Qin Dynasty led to the loss of the Mandate of Heaven and the fall of the Empire. Qian, who lived during the Han Dynasty, used the example of Li Si, the Chief Minister of the Emperors of the Qin Dynasty, to emphasis the newly accepted Confucian values. It was the shortcomings of Li Si which led to the fall of the Qin Dynasty as well as his own death. However, Qian is careful to note that prior to his downfall, Li Si followed many Confucian values which allowed him to rise up from a commoner to his eventual position as Chief Minister.
All fields of science affects the lives of many people, but the inventors are left out. Inventors make many lives more comfortable and convenient. George Edward Alcorn, Jr. was a not so well-known inventor, but he...
The crossbow was invented in Ancient China during the Zhou dynasty, around the year 700 BC. A Chinese text, from about 200 BC, gives credit to a Mr. Ch'in of Ch'u for inventing the crossbow. It consisted of a horizontally mounted bow, with a stock and trigger mechanism added. The crossbow is derived from the horizontally mounted bow-trap used by other civilizations around the same time. They had a range of up to 650 feet. The crossbow had a firing mechanism, which was so complicated that it would have been nearly impossible for an enemy to understand how it worked, thus reducing the chance that the crossbow could be copied by hostile civilizations.
Before 850 A.D, the most advanced achievements in weaponry and technology included the sword and shield. Chinese alchemists however, would change the world forever through their invention. In an early strive to find an elixir that sustained life, Chinese alchemists mixed sulfur and charcoal creating what is known as salt-pepper. When burned it was said that "smoke and flames result, so that the scientists' hands and faces have been burnt, and even the whole house where they were working burned down" (Whipps). This invention was later known as gunpowder, a creation that would revolutionize and create a new world. The effects that the creation of gunpowder in 850 A.D had on the world can be shown through the advancements in weaponry, technology, and the impact on culture.
“Volley Guns” (Chivers, 2010, p.26) or also known as “Organ Guns” (Ellis, 1975, p.10) were first attempts at increasing firepower by adding several barrels at the firing itself, rather than simply attempting to increase the rate of fire. “Gunsmiths had long ago learned to place barrels side by side on frames to create firearms capable of discharging projectiles in rapid succession. These unwieldy devices, or volley guns, were capable in theory of blasting a hole in a line of advancing soldiers” (Chivers, 2010, p.26). An example of such weapons can be seen on July 28, 1835 when Giuseppe Fieshi unleashed terror on King Louis-Phillipe in Paris, France. He fired his 25 barrel “volley gun”, killing 18 of the king's entourage and grazing the King's skull. The weapon was ineffective however. Four of the barrels failed and another four ruptured. Two other barrels had exploded inside, grievously wounding Giuseppe. (Chivers, 2010, p. 27)
The effect of human travel has been twofold on the course of human history. It has served to transfer technologies, and it has also served to facilitate the spread diseases. There are examples of how technology travels from one culture to another all over the place, from the readings and movies we watch to things that we surround ourselves with everyday. Most of these technologies serve to make the lives of humans easier or more fun, but there are some inventions that have served to only destroy or make others lives worse. In some cases the technology’s originally intended usage was preserved, but in others the technology is used in different manners. An example from one of the first readings from this class is the Chinese invention of gunpowder. Originally it was used for religious purposes, but once the technology spread west through human travel, Europeans used the gunpowder and invented guns and ammunition. Once guns were invented, though, their use has not been altered. Though there are many different models, and types of guns, they all operate under the same principles and for the same purpose.