Which term is correctly paired with the description 'a substance consisting of a mixture of charcoal or other carbon and either potassium nitrate or sodium nitrate with or without sulfur'?

• A. Gun Powder
• B. Cartridge
• C. Ammunition
• D. Pyrotechnic

Answer: (A)

This description points to gun powder. It’s a propellant made from a carbon source (charcoal) and an oxidizer (potassium nitrate or sodium nitrate), with sulfur sometimes added to speed up combustion. This exact mixture is historically the specific propellant used in firearms, hence the term gun powder.

A cartridge is a complete round that includes powder, a casing, a primer, and a bullet; ammunition is the broader category that covers all fired projectiles, including cartridges; pyrotechnic is a general class of compositions used in fireworks and signals, not specifically the firearm propellant described here.