Gunpowder is the oldest known explosive. It consists of a mixture of potassium nitrate, charcoal and sulphur.
The first gunpowder may have appeared around 850 AD, and been used in fireworks. The Chinese also invented various recipes for gunpowder, in the 10th century.
By the mid-14th century, the military uses of gunpowder were well established. Since the late 19th century gunpowder has been gradually replaced by high explosives. Gunpowder is still used today for quarry-blasting, fuses for firing explosives, and for fireworks.
