Firearm

High school (ages 12+)
Safety & Emergency

Name:

Date:

Step 1 · Read the article

Open the article and read it at the level above. Then answer the questions below in your own words.

https://smallwhale.org/articles/firearm

Write what each word means, using the article.

Do not copy the article. Write two things you learned, the way you would explain them to a friend.

Answers below are taken from the article’s stored facts, so they match what the student read.

1. What is the primary ignition system?Percussion cap (19th century onwards), evolved from flintlock and matchlock
2. What is the key technological leap?Development of self-contained cartridges and breech-loading actions
3. Where did firearms first appear?Firearms first appeared in China during the Tang Dynasty, around the 10th century, when people used gunpowder for fireworks and later for weapons like the fire lance and hand cannon.
4. How does a gun fire a bullet?When the trigger is pulled, a hammer strikes a primer that lights a flame, which ignites the gunpowder inside the cartridge, producing gas that pushes the bullet down the barrel.

Propellant: The explosive material (like gunpowder) that generates gas to fire a projectile.
Breech-loading: A firearm design where ammunition is loaded from the rear of the barrel.
Rifling: Spiral grooves inside a firearm's barrel that spin the bullet for accuracy.
Cartridge: A self-contained unit holding the bullet, propellant, primer, and casing.