What is napalm?
Q: What is napalm?
A: Napalm is a type of flammable liquid that has been used in war. It is usually gasoline that has been turned into a jelly, and it contains coprecipitated aluminum salts of naphthenic and palmitic acids.
Q: Who invented napalm?
A: Napalm was invented by a team of Harvard chemists during World War II, led by Louis Fieser.
Q: What were the problems with earlier liquids used for lighting fires?
A: The main problem with earlier liquids used for lighting fires was that they splashed and drained too easily.
Q: Why did the U.S. prefer to use gasoline gel instead of rubber-based incendiaries?
A: The U.S. preferred to use gasoline gel because it was much cheaper than rubber-based incendiaries, which were in high demand and expensive at the time.
Q: What are some effects of using napalm bombs?
A: When using napalm bombs, they rapidly deoxygenate the available air and make large amounts of carbon monoxide which can suffocate people nearby.
Q: How was napalm used in the Vietnam War?
A: In the Vietnam War, napalm bombs were used to clear landing zones for helicopters.
Q: How long has incendiary devices been around for warfare purposes? A: Incendiary devices have been around since ancient times as part of warfare purposes - such as Greek fire - but modern day napalm was only invented during World War II in the 20th century
