How is napalm detonated

Phosphorus dispersed by high explosives has tremendous potential to cause injury, often embedding itself in small pieces in the skin of its victims and continuing to burn. These weapons disperse a large amount of flammable hydrocarbon e. As a result, the detonation of the weapon creates a massive fireball—consuming large amounts of target materials and breathable oxygen at the same time.

Incendiary Materials The functional purpose of all incendiary munitions, from historical Greek fire to modern day fuel-air bombs, is to ignite a robustly burning fire across a wide swath of the target area. Napalm Napalm is simply gasoline mixed with some sort of thickening agent.

Flammable Metals Flammable metals like the ones listed below are extremely useful in incendiary munitions because they burn so readily, durably, and intensely i. Aluminum Depleted Uranium Depleted Uranium is especially useful because it can function both as a mechanically useful shell casing, by virtue of its high density, and once the weapon is detonated as a fiercely burning incendiary.

Magnesium Thermite Thermite is a mixture of iron oxide basically, rust and aluminum; it is among the most widely used incendiary materials. Our mission is to engage, educate, and inspire all learners to discover and explore the records of the American people preserved by the National Archives.

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Today, America's sole incendiary bomb is the MK , or Mark 77 bomb. This "dumb" bomb -- as opposed to a precision-guided or " smart" bomb -- is a mix of 63 gallons liters of jet fuel mostly kerosene and 44 pounds 20 kilograms of a polystyrene-type gel [source: Buncombe ]. Although technically an incendiary bomb, the MK is often referred to colloquially by soldiers and experts, and even in some military documents, as napalm.

Remember the previous discussion of napalm as a catchall term? During the Persian Gulf War, U. These bombs were used on trenches that Iraqi forces had dug and filled with oil.

Iraqi soldiers were going to light these oil-filled trenches on fire when U. At the end of that conflict, Iraqi Kurds led a revolt against Saddam Hussein's government.

In its reprisal attacks, Hussein's forces also used napalm to brutally crush the rebellious Kurds. Although the U. They contend that while the old form of napalm isn't used, a similar, reformulated compound, also a jelled incendiary substance, has been used, most notably in the form of the MK bomb. In , U. One American commander told The Independent newspaper that commanders like napalm for its "psychological effect" [source: Buncombe ]. In the same article, a Marine spokesman said that Mark 77 bombs -- specifically the MK Mod 5 used in Iraq -- were "remarkably similar" to napalm bombs although less environmentally harmful , but referred to them as "firebombs" [source: Crawley ].

There have been allegations that napalm was used when American forces assaulted Fallujah in November [source: Iraq Analysis Group ]. But there has been considerable debate about whether this is true. The use of napalm or napalmlike weapons has drawn some controversy for countries working with U. Protocol III but were working with or under the command of U. The eventual revelation that U. Whatever the final verdict, napalm, like Agent Orange , has become a loaded word, symbolizing for many the carnage and brutality of war.

But despite the ghastly images we've seen, some experts on the subject point out that while napalm produces horrific results, it's used as part of waging war, which itself contains numerous images and symbols of horror, death and destruction. Yet even if napalm is a weapon like many others, something in particular about the substance and the images that have chronicled it, have lent it a special symbolism, unlikely to fade.

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He loves the smell of napalm in the morning -- Robert Duvall as Lt. Kilgore on the set of "Apocalypse Now. Napalm's Effects on Health and the Environment " ". What Were They Thinking? Napalm in Vietnam " ". Kim Phuc, seen here with then-Sen. Joe Biden, stands in front of the famous photograph of herself as a child, being burned by napalm.

Scott J. The MK and Napalm in Iraq " ". Images like this one, of napalm exploding in an area south of Saigon, became well known during the Vietnam War, but napalm hasn't exactly died out since then. Napalm was used in Vietnam by American flamethrowers to burn down bushes and forests, neutralizing guerrilla fighters.

How do you treat napalm burns? It's difficult to treat napalm wounds, as the chemical burns extremely hot. Doctors remove contaminated clothing to stop the continued burning. What is napalm? Napalm is a substance that can be used to create a bomb, also known as a firebomb fuel gel mixture.

It has a gel-like consistency that allows the attacker to stick it to a target. It is mostly used in combination with jet fuel or gasoline to produce a bomb that ignites easily. What does napalm do to humans? That is why it produces awful burns on the human body.