Can gunpowder ignite without oxygen?

Fires can’t burn in the oxygen-free vacuum of space, but guns can shoot. Modern ammunition contains its own oxidizer, a chemical that will trigger the explosion of gunpowder, and thus the firing of a bullet, wherever you are in the universe. No atmospheric oxygen required.

What does gunpowder react with?

Black powder consists of a fuel (charcoal), an oxidizer (saltpeter or niter), and a stabilizer (sulfur) to allow for a constant reaction. The reaction would be slow, like a wood fire, if not for the oxidizing agent. Carbon in a fire must draw oxygen from the air, but the saltpeter in gunpowder provides the oxygen.

Does gun powder explode?

Gunpowder is a low explosive: it does not detonate, but rather deflagrates (burns quickly). This is an advantage in a propellant device, where one does not desire a shock that would shatter the gun and potentially harm the operator; however, it is a drawback when an explosion is desired.

How fast is a bullet?

An average bullet travels at around 2736 Kilometers/hour or 1700 miles/hour. That’s 6 times faster than the top speed of the fastest car in the world. Many bullets travel faster than the speed of sound. Bullets are 3 times faster than the commercial jet aircraft at about 400–500 knots.

What can ignite gunpowder?

Black powder is a deflagrating explosive. It is very sensitive to flame and spark and can also be ignited by friction and impact.

How does gunpowder differ from explosive?

Gunpowder is classified as a low explosive because of its relatively slow decomposition rate and consequently low brisance. Low explosives deflagrate (i.e., burn at subsonic speeds), whereas high explosives detonate producing a supersonic shockwave.

Why is it harder to set fire to black powder?

This is the same as how it’s harder to set fire to a living tree than a dry log, but if the fire gets hot enough it will still catch. Black powder is a “low” explosive, meaning that the chemical reaction happens relatively slowly (for an explosion), which gives the water more time to absorb heat energy and quench the reaction.

Why does kerosene have a higher ignition temperature than paper?

So paper has less autoignition temperature than kerosene. Ignition temperature of kerosene is much less than paper’s ignition temperature. Kerosene molecules are larger than petrol molecules and hence don’t mix easily with oxygen present in air. Thus, it has higher ignition temperature than paper.

Why does black powder explode when mixed with water?

Black powder is a “low” explosive, meaning that the chemical reaction happens relatively slowly (for an explosion), which gives the water more time to absorb heat energy and quench the reaction. Worse, black powder can be permanentlyruined by water.

What happens if you put an explosive in water?

In general, putting explosives in water will notprevent them from exploding, because most explosives already contain all of the necessary reactants to produce an explosive chemical reaction. They do not need to draw oxygen from the air, and the reaction happens much too fast for the water to act as a heat sink.