ELI5-how can a gun pack so much power?
In: Physics
Gunpowder is a chemical explosive. What does that mean, basically?
Well, it means that gunpowder is very unstable. Provided enough energy to give it a little “push” it will react with oxygen and release a bunch of energy as light and heat that it was storing in the chemical bonds holding it together.
This energy can provide that same “push” to more gunpowder nearby. This means that you can create a chain reaction where a bunch of powder all explodes in an instant. If we use this heat to push a bullet, we can make it go very, very fast. Fast moving projectiles are, well, very deadly.
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