Guy Fawkes Night – The Mathematics of Gunpowder Plot

Guy Fawkes tried to blow up Parliament on 5 November 1605. The gunpowder (black powder) reaction: 2 KNO₃ + S + 3 C → K₂S + N₂ + 3 CO₂. The mathematics of explosion: the ideal gas law (PV = nRT) relates pressure and temperature. The blast wave is a shock wave modelled by the Rankine‑Hugoniot equations. The plot failed because the gunpowder had ‘decayed’ (chemical kinetics). Today, fireworks commemorate the event. Explosives mathematics is also used in mining, demolition, and rocket propulsion.