| This diagram illustrates the molecular structure of symmetrical trinitrotoluene, a powerful explosive more commonly known as TNT. An assembly of carbon, hydrogen, oxygen, and nitrogen, TNT molecules collapse when jolted, enabling the oxygen atoms to combine with the carbon and hydrogen atoms, forming carbon dioxide and water vapor, respectively. The collapse also frees the nitrogen atoms, which form nitrogen gas. Thus, when detonated, TNT changes from a compact solid to a voluminous cloud of gas, a transformation that results in a powerful explosion. |
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