During the Mongol and Song periods, the Chinese created powerful weapons. Gunpowder is what made these creations possible. Alchemists were the Chinese people who first invented gunpowder. Alchemists used natural ingredients hoping to find a substance that would make people live longer. One of the ingredients that they used was saltpeter. Saltpeter is a salty white mineral. While experiencing with saltpeter the alchemists discovered that it could be used to make an explosive powder. The first weapon that the Chinese made that used gunpowder was the flame thrower. They were used to spray enemies with a stream of fire. Some other forms of gunpowder were the catapult,the rifle, and the rocket. before gunpowder was invented, the Chinese used weapons such as crossbows and spears. Today gunpowder is still used for many things.
