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Quiz about Seasoned with Saltpeter
Quiz about Seasoned with Saltpeter

Seasoned with Saltpeter Trivia Quiz


In this quiz we are having a look at saltpetre (or saltpeter) and some of the history around its use. Saltpetre is the name given to a group nitrates, namely those involving sodium, potassium, calcium and magnesium.

A multiple-choice quiz by suomy. Estimated time: 4 mins.
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Author
suomy
Time
4 mins
Type
Multiple Choice
Quiz #
362,868
Updated
Jan 25 23
# Qns
10
Difficulty
Average
Avg Score
8 / 10
Plays
1732
Awards
Top 35% Quiz
- -
Question 1 of 10
1. Potassium nitrate when mixed with sulphur and charcoal makes gunpowder. Which country is generally acknowledged as having been the first to discover this?
Hint


Question 2 of 10
2. Gunpowder is believed to have made its way to Europe in the early 13th century possibly during an invasion. Which army did the invading?
Hint


Question 3 of 10
3. Saltpetre played an important role supporting the military aspirations of 17th century England and led to government agents known as 'saltpeter-men' scouring the land in order to seize deposits of manure.


Question 4 of 10
4. How was the shortage of potassium nitrate in Britain eventually overcome?
Hint


Question 5 of 10
5. Gunpowder played its part as a political tool. Who is nowadays most closely associated for what is sometimes called the Jesuit Plot, which aimed to assassinate King James I of England/James VI of Scotland in 1605? Hint


Question 6 of 10
6. Another use for saltpetre is in fireworks. Which country do we have to thank for fireworks?
Hint


Question 7 of 10
7. Saltpetre has been also an ingredient in fertilisers for many years. Fertilisers though have the potential to cause explosions. Which nitrate was involved in the Oppau explosion of 1921 in Germany? Hint


Question 8 of 10
8. Back to fireworks. It is not unknown for fireworks factories to explode. One of the largest in recent times occurred in the Netherlands in May 2000. Where?
Hint


Question 9 of 10
9. Sodium nitrate, one of the saltpetres, was a key factor in which war between Chile and the combined forces of Bolivia and Peru in the 19th century?
Hint


Question 10 of 10
10. Saltpetre has been used for preserving food for centuries. In the early 18th century it was realised that nitrates had an advantage over ordinary salt (sodium chloride) when used for preserving meat. What is this? Hint



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Quiz Answer Key and Fun Facts
1. Potassium nitrate when mixed with sulphur and charcoal makes gunpowder. Which country is generally acknowledged as having been the first to discover this?

Answer: China

Gunpowder was the only known chemical explosive until the mid-1800s. China is said to have discovered gunpowder in the 9th century CE with a written recipe being dated to 11th century China.
2. Gunpowder is believed to have made its way to Europe in the early 13th century possibly during an invasion. Which army did the invading?

Answer: Mongol

Gunpowder was possibly first used against Europeans by the Mongols at the Battle of Mohi in 1241. The losing side was the Kingdom of Hungary. The battle proved decisive, although what part gunpowder played in this is unclear.
3. Saltpetre played an important role supporting the military aspirations of 17th century England and led to government agents known as 'saltpeter-men' scouring the land in order to seize deposits of manure.

Answer: True

Strangely, perhaps. One way saltpetre can be created is from a mixture of soil, manure and urine. Deposits were reasonably plentiful wherever there was habitation. In 1646 an ordinance was passed allowing 'saltpeter-men' to go on to private property and remove deposits. People refusing to co-operate could be punished.
4. How was the shortage of potassium nitrate in Britain eventually overcome?

Answer: By imports from India

Saltpetre was supplied from the north-west Indian state of Gujarat during the 17th century. France, the Netherlands, Portugal and Britain all established saltpetre refineries in India during the 18th century.
5. Gunpowder played its part as a political tool. Who is nowadays most closely associated for what is sometimes called the Jesuit Plot, which aimed to assassinate King James I of England/James VI of Scotland in 1605?

Answer: Guy Fawkes

This event is better known as the Gunpowder Plot and is celebrated to this day as Guy Fawkes Night or Bonfire Night on the 5th November each year, though the leader of the conspiracy was Robert Catesby. The plot was discovered before the conspirators could blow up the House of Commons. It was Guy Fawkes who was found guarding the 36 barrels of gunpowder found under the Houses of Parliament and it is he, rather than Catesby who is popularly seen as the leading conspirator.
6. Another use for saltpetre is in fireworks. Which country do we have to thank for fireworks?

Answer: China

Gunpowder is one of the 'Four Great Inventions' coming from ancient China. Papermaking, printing (mainly by woodblock) and the compass are the other three. Fireworks are said to have been used to scare off evil spirits. An early fire at a gunpowder store at Weiyang in the 13th century killed around a hundred guards.
7. Saltpetre has been also an ingredient in fertilisers for many years. Fertilisers though have the potential to cause explosions. Which nitrate was involved in the Oppau explosion of 1921 in Germany?

Answer: Ammonium

A mixture of ammonium sulphate and ammonium nitrate exploded. A mix of these two was considered safe when the nitrate component was fifty percent or less. It was considered so safe that TNT explosive was routinely used to loosen the compacted powders in the silo storage tower. Up to six hundred people were killed in this explosion. No lessons seemed to have been learned from a similar incident two months earlier in which nineteen people were killed, also in Germany.
8. Back to fireworks. It is not unknown for fireworks factories to explode. One of the largest in recent times occurred in the Netherlands in May 2000. Where?

Answer: Enschede

Twenty-three died and many were injured at Enschede when a fire ignited around 177 tonnes of fireworks. All answers were sites of recent firework factory explosions. The Seest one occurred in 2004 in Denmark. The Italian (Picciano) and Canadian (Coteau-du-Lac) ones were both in 2013. All involved fatalities. Strangely, perhaps, saltpetre is an ingredient in some condensed aerosol fire suppression systems.
9. Sodium nitrate, one of the saltpetres, was a key factor in which war between Chile and the combined forces of Bolivia and Peru in the 19th century?

Answer: War of the Pacific

Chile and Peru have the largest deposits of naturally-occurring sodium nitrate. The war was triggered by Peru nationalising some mines and Bolivia imposing a tax, both of which threatened Chilean interests. The war lasted for four years from 1879.
10. Saltpetre has been used for preserving food for centuries. In the early 18th century it was realised that nitrates had an advantage over ordinary salt (sodium chloride) when used for preserving meat. What is this?

Answer: It preserves the colour of the meat

A plain salt cure results in a greying of the meat, which is less attractive. Nitrate use is, however, widely controlled as it is believed to be carcinogenic.
Source: Author suomy

This quiz was reviewed by FunTrivia editor bloomsby before going online.
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