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Petard

Petard is a science topic covered in the lgStudy science library. This page brings together a partial reference excerpt, illustrations, worked examples, real-world applications and a short study plan, so you can understand Petard rather than just read about it. In short: A petard is a small bomb used for blowing up gates and walls when breaching fortifications, originally invented in France in 1579. Etymology Pétard comes from the Middle French péter, to fart, from the root pet, expulsion of intestinal gas, derived from the Latin peditus, past participle of pedere, to break wind.

Petard — main illustration
Petard — illustration

Key takeaways

  • Petard belongs to science; place it in that map before memorising details.
  • Learn the definition first, then one example that makes the definition concrete.
  • Connect Petard to a quantity you can measure, compute or draw — that is where exam questions come from.
  • Reproduce the core statement of Petard from memory before moving on to harder problems.

Reference excerpt

A petard is a small bomb used for blowing up gates and walls when breaching fortifications, originally invented in France in 1579.

Etymology Pétard comes from the Middle French péter, to fart, from the root pet, expulsion of intestinal gas, derived from the Latin peditus, past participle of pedere, to break wind. In modern French, a pétard is a firecracker, and is the basis for the word for "firecracker" in several other European languages. Shakespeare's phrase "hoist with his own petard", meaning that one could be lifted (blown) upward by one's own bomb, has become an idiom that means "to be harmed by one's own plan to harm someone else" or "to fall into one's own trap".

Overview Pétardiers (combat engineers using petards) were deployed during sieges of castles or fortified cities. The pétard was a fairly primitive and exceedingly dangerous explosive device, comprising a brass or iron bell-shaped or rectangular container filled with 2–3 kilograms (4–7 lb) of gunpowder with a slow match for a fuse, and affixed to a wooden or iron base called a madrier. The device was attached to a wall or gate using hooks and rings, the fuse was lit and, if successful, the resulting explosive force, concentrated at the target point, would blow a hole in the obstruction, allowing assault troops to enter.

Variants

In World War II, a petard mortar was a spigot mortar, firing an non-aerodynamic 20 kg (44 lb) charge 228 mm (9.0 in) in diameter, known to its crews as the "flying dustbin" due to the characteristics of its projectile, that could be fired up to 100 m (110 yd). The weapon was mounted on the turret of the Churchill AVRE tank and was sufficient to breach or demolish many bunkers and earthworks. In Maltese English, home-made fireworks - a popular but highly dangerous hobby in Malta - are called petards (the word in Maltese, murtal, is related to "mortar"). These petards are detonated by the dozen during feasts dedicated to local patron saints. Maltese petards are made by non-technical people without formal education in chemistry, as an exercise in traditional handiwork. In modern French, pétard is slang for a large marijuana joint or blunt. It is also slang for human buttocks.

See also Door breaching – Methods used by military, police, firefighters to forcibly enter a structure Fougasse (weapon) – Improvised mortar List of inventors killed by their own invention Shaped charge – Explosive with focused effect Tunnel warfare – Use of tunnels and other underground cavities in wars

References

Further reading "Petard" . Encyclopædia Britannica. Vol. 21 (11th ed.). 1911. Appier-Hanzelet, Jean (1630). La pyrotechnie de Hanzelet lorrain ... (in French). A well illustrated 17th Century artillery book showing several examples of petards in use

External links

Media related to Petard at Wikimedia Commons

Illustrations

Petard: A petard, from a seventeenth-century manuscript of military technology
A petard, from a seventeenth-century manuscript of military technology
Petard: A 19th-century British army petard (in center, projecting from the copper circle), mounted on a madrier, with braces
A 19th-century British army petard (in center, projecting from the copper circle), mounted on a madrier, with braces
Petard: Churchill AVRE with its 230/29 mm spigot mortar and its 228 mm petard bomb ammunition to the right.[3]
Churchill AVRE with its 230/29 mm spigot mortar and its 228 mm petard bomb ammunition to the right.[3]

Worked examples

Example 1 — a first encounter with Petard

Start with the simplest possible case. Write down what Petard claims or describes in one sentence, then invent the smallest concrete situation in which that sentence is true. In science, the smallest case is usually a single object, a single equation or a single measurement. Check that every symbol or term in your sentence has a meaning in that case.

Example 2 — changing one variable

Take the situation from Example 1 and change exactly one quantity: double it, halve it, or set it to zero. Predict what should happen to Petard before you calculate. Comparing your prediction with the result is the fastest way to find out whether you understand the idea or only the words.

Example 3 — an exam-style question

Typical questions about Petard ask you to (a) state it precisely, (b) apply it to given data, and (c) explain a limitation. Practise writing all three answers in under five minutes; the third part is what separates a full-mark answer from an average one.

Applications of Petard

In research
Petard appears in science research whenever the underlying quantities have to be modelled precisely. Papers usually cite it as a starting assumption and then explore where it breaks down.
In technology and industry
Engineering practice reuses Petard in design rules, simulations and safety margins. Knowing the idea lets you read a specification sheet and understand why the numbers look the way they do.
In the classroom
Petard is common in secondary-school and first-year university syllabi. It links to neighbouring topics Anti-fortification weapons, Bombs, French inventions, so understanding it makes those chapters shorter.
In everyday life
Look for Petard outside the textbook — in sport, cooking, traffic, electronics or the sky above you. An example you found yourself is remembered far longer than one you were given.
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How to study Petard in 20 minutes

  1. Read the reference excerpt below once, without taking notes.
  2. Close the page and write down what Petard means in your own words.
  3. Compare your version with the excerpt and mark what you missed.
  4. Work through the three examples above with pen and paper.
  5. Explain Petard out loud to somebody else — or to Teacher Smith in the lgStudy chat.

Frequently asked questions

What is Petard in simple terms?

A petard is a small bomb used for blowing up gates and walls when breaching fortifications, originally invented in France in 1579. Etymology Pétard comes from the Middle French péter, to fart, from the root pet, expulsion of intestinal gas, derived from the Latin peditus, past participle of pedere…

Why does Petard matter?

Because it connects several science ideas at once: it gives you a definition you can apply, a quantity you can calculate, and a way to check whether a result is plausible.

How should I study Petard?

Read the excerpt, restate it from memory, then work through the examples and applications listed on this page. The five-step study plan above takes about twenty minutes.

What does this page cover?

It gives you a compact reference excerpt plus original lgStudy explanations, examples, applications and study material on Petard.

Tags

  • Anti-fortification weapons
  • Bombs
  • French inventions
  • Siege equipment

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