For early Chinese cast iron cannons using gunpowder, which risk increases when employing poorly refined saltpeter?

💡 Explanation

Incomplete combustion happens because impurities within the saltpeter interfere with its oxidization. Because less gas is produced, the pressure spikes causing the combustion to stop and the cannon won't fire; therefore inconsistent combustion, rather than enhanced velocity, results.

• Which risk markedly increases in the Chinampa agricultural system if the water table drops significantly during annual cultivation cycles?
• Which agricultural modification enhances soil aeration in pre-Columbian chinampa cultivation?
• Which soil degradation risk increases when poorly designed Inca agricultural terraces experience heavy rainfall?
• Which destructive outcome occurred when medieval stone catapults exceeded design thresholds?
• Within early Chinese blast furnaces when producing cast iron, which outcome arose from insufficient charcoal quantity?
• When rapidly heated in early bombards, which consequence results from low gunpowder consistency?