Public Health Journeyman Practice Test

Trinitrotoluene (TNT), C-4, and nitroglycerin are all examples of what category of explosives?

Low-order explosive. High explosive. Incendiary. Improvised.

Correct Answer:

High explosive.

Explanation:

High explosives are defined by their tendency to detonate, producing a supersonic shock wave rather than burning or deflagrating. TNT, C-4, and nitroglycerin all fit this description because they explode when initiated, releasing energy rapidly and with significant destructive force. This rapid detonation is the defining feature that separates them from low explosives, which burn quickly but do not generate the same blast shock. Incendiaries are designed to start fires rather than create a blast, and “improvised” describes how a device is assembled rather than the chemical class of the explosive. So, the category that best fits TNT, C-4, and nitroglycerin is high explosives.

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