Which of the following is an example of a shock-sensitive material?

• A. TATP, gun powder, nitroglycerin
• B. Water, sugar, salt
• C. Ammonium nitrate fertilizer
• D. Oxygen and nitrogen gas

Answer: (A)

Shock sensitivity describes how readily a material detonates when subjected to a mechanical impact or sudden pressure. Materials that are highly shock-sensitive will explode with only a small impulse, while insensitive materials require more extreme conditions to detonate.

TATP, nitroglycerin, and gun powder are classic examples of shock-sensitive substances—they can detonate or violently decompose under a brief mechanical shock. That makes them highly responsive to impact or friction, which is why they’re flagged as shock-sensitive.

In contrast, water, sugar, and salt are stable and do not detonate from typical shocks. Ammonium nitrate fertilizer is relatively insensitive to shock (it can pose hazards under certain conditions, but it’s not as shock-sensitive as organic peroxides or nitroglycerin). Oxygen and nitrogen gases won’t explode on their own from shock either; they’re inert under normal conditions and need a fuel and confinement to produce an explosion.

So the best example of a shock-sensitive material is the group that includes TATP, nitroglycerin, and gun powder.