Trivia #6 Spark (10/6/2014)

[Trivia Master]

Tonight's Civil War Trivia Question Value: 10 points.
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This question will be open until Wednesday at about 9:30am EDT
New Questions are Posted Every Night at 9:30pm EDT
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Please do not post your answers anywhere but in this forum! This includes you FACEBOOK users!
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What chemical compound is responsible for creating the spark in Civil War era musket caps?
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Post your answers BELOW. Good Luck!
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If you have a Civil War book, or perhaps some other interesting Civil War product you'd like to promote by giving it away as a trivia prize, contact the Webmaster, Mike Kendra

 

[Bob Owen]

fulminate of mercury

 

[ErnieMac]

Fulminate of mercury.

 

[Stony]

fulminate of mercury.

 

[Brenal]

Fulminate of mercury

 

[BrrrBRRRR]

Mercury fulminate

 

[Northern Light]

FULMINATE OF MERCURY

 

[adisciu9]

Percussion caps used mercuric fulminate; chemical formula is Hg(ONC)2; it is made from mercury, nitric acid and alcohol.

 

[NFB22]

mercuric fulminate - Hg(ONC)2

 

[Eagle eye]

Fulminate of mercury

 

[csb1971]

Fulminate of mercury

 

[DickWilliams]

Mercury fulminate

 

[Albert Sailhorst]

Wikepedia at http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Percussion_cap states: "The percussion cap is a small cylinder of copper or brass with one closed end. Inside the closed end is a small amount of a shock-sensitive explosive material such as fulminate of mercury."
My answer: Fulminate of Mercury.
Thanks!

 

[101combatvet]

mercuric fulminate or fulminate of mercury Its chemical formula is Hg(ONC)2 -- it is made from mercury, nitric acid and alcohol.

 

[War Horse]

fulminate of mercury

 

[Copperhead-mi]

Fulminate of mercury

 

[Karlos63]

Fulminate of mercury

 

[blwhite]

mecuric fulminate

 

[GELongstreet]

Mercury Fulminate?

 

[FarawayFriend]

Mercury(II) fulminate, or Hg(CNO)2

"First used as a priming composition in small copper caps after the 1830s, mercury fulminate quickly replaced flints as a means to ignite black powder charges in muzzle loading firearms. Later, during the late 19th century and most of the 20th century, mercury fulminate or potassium chlorate became widely used in primers for self-contained rifle and pistol ammunition. [...] Mercury fulminate has the distinct advantage over potassium chlorate of being non-corrosive, but it is known to weaken with time"
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fulminate_of_mercury

"The percussion cap is a small cylinder of copper or brass with one closed end. Inside the closed end is a small amount of a shock-sensitive explosive material such as fulminate of mercury. ."
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Percussion_cap

"By the middle of the 19th century the percussion or caplock system was well established. It was adopted by both sides in the American Civil War, as it was simpler and more reliable than the flintlock."
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Primer_(firearm)

Interesting read: The Library of Congress Civil War Desk Reference / ed. by Margaret E. Wagner, Gary W. Gallagher,Paul Finkelman, p.498
http://books.google.de/books?id=7sv...CGEQ6AEwCg#v=snippet&q=musket loading&f=false