By Ronan S • Invented in 142AD in China • Made of Sulphur, Charcoal and Potassium Nitrate • Gunpowder didn’t reach the Western world until 1100AD • Originally used to make Fireworks • Not used in war until 1000AD • • • • • Guns-1300AD-Portugese Bazooka-900AD-Chinese Fire Arrows-900AD-Chinese Cannons-1000AD-Chineses Death Arrows 1200AD-Samurai • Afghanistan War 2001-present (11 years onwards) • Over 2000 killed 22,000 wounded • Korean War 1950-1953 (3 years) • Over 1,800,000 killed 220,000 wounded • World War 2 1939-1945 (6 years) • Keep in mind a soldier in the trenches will use 2-3 bullets but in the open about 20-30 bullets and a bullet contains 10 grams of gunpowder • Gunpowder was invented by accident • Scientists mixed Sulphur, Charcoal and Potassium Nitrate • Was not used as a weapon until 800AD • Accidently lit by Chinese scientist • He was lighting a cigarette wen some ash fell into the gunpowder • Someone realised gunpowder could be used as a weapon (instead of just decoration). • Chinese scientists started developing a weapon about 1000AD. • Weapons were not used until 1100AD. • The weapons were used because of the continually invading Mongolians and the Chinese needed a more destructive defence system. • Chinese wanted to be better than everyone else thats why they developed weapons. • Gunpowder has affected today’s society by taking millions of lives and traumatising millions of others. Gunpowder has also ruined the lives of many families and friends of the victims of conflict. On the other side of the square gunpowder has also been used to make fireworks which have brought great joy to the world. • http://www.vhinkle.com/china/inventions.html • http://www.historyforkids.org/learn/china/ • http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/War_in_Afghanistan_(2 001%E2%80%93present) • http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Korean_War • http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/World_War_II