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Article: Explosions
- Article from:
- Chemistry: Foundations and Applications
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CopyrightCOPYRIGHT 2004 The Gale Group, Inc. This material is published under license from the publisher through the Gale Group, Farmington Hills, Michigan. All inquiries regarding rights should be directed to the Gale Group. (Hide copyright information)
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Explosions
An explosion is a sudden, violent change of potential energy to work, which transfers to its surroundings in the form of a rapidly moving rise in pressure called a blast wave or shock wave. The shock wave can cause substantial damage. Potential energy may exist in either of three forms before an explosion occurs:
nuclear
, chemical, or physical. Generally, nuclear explosions are much larger and more destructive than chemical or physical explosions. Chemical explosions are more frequent than nuclear or physical explosions. Although chemical explosions are usually deliberate, they may also occur accidentally. Large physical explosions are relatively rare and usually ...