Who had an "explosive idea" and first patented dynamite, stabilising nitroglycerin for safer handling?

Difficulty: Easy

Correct Answer: Alfred Nobel

Explanation:


Introduction / Context:
Dynamite is a powerful explosive that made blasting rock and earth far more efficient. Its invention required stabilising the very sensitive liquid nitroglycerin. This question uses a playful phrase explosive idea and asks which inventor first patented dynamite as a practical commercial explosive.


Given Data / Assumptions:

  • The subject is dynamite and its patent, not simple gunpowder.
  • The inventor found a way to stabilise nitroglycerin.
  • The options list several names associated with chemistry and explosives.
  • We assume familiarity with the link between dynamite and the Nobel Prizes.


Concept / Approach:
Alfred Nobel experimented with nitroglycerin and discovered that mixing it with an absorbent material created a safer solid form that could be shaped into sticks. He patented this product as dynamite. His fortune from explosives later funded the Nobel Prizes, which reward achievements in several fields and are widely known today.


Step-by-Step Solution:
Step 1: Identify that the question is about patenting dynamite, not using explosives in general. Step 2: Recall that Alfred Nobel is the chemist whose name appears on the Nobel Prizes and is commonly linked with dynamite. Step 3: Connect the phrase explosive idea in the question with this association. Step 4: Therefore, the person who first patented dynamite is Alfred Nobel.


Verification / Alternative check:
You can verify by remembering that most general knowledge summaries describe Nobel as the inventor who made nitroglycerin safer and then founded prizes to encourage peaceful applications of science. Names such as Guy Fawkes are connected with historical plots rather than invention, and William Bickford is associated with safety fuses, not with the dynamite patent itself.


Why Other Options Are Wrong:

  • J. R. Glauber: Known for discoveries in chemistry, such as Glauber salt, but not for dynamite.
  • Guy Fawkes: Associated with the Gunpowder Plot in England, not with inventing or patenting dynamite.
  • William Bickford: Credited with inventing the safety fuse, an important accessory for explosives, but not dynamite itself.
  • Michael Faraday: A key figure in electricity and magnetism, but not the inventor of dynamite.


Common Pitfalls:
Because the options include several names linked with explosives or plots, learners may hesitate between Guy Fawkes and Alfred Nobel. The key to avoiding confusion is to focus on the word patented; the plotter did not patent anything, while Nobel did patent a product and build a company around it. This distinction makes Alfred Nobel the only suitable answer.


Final Answer:
The person who first patented dynamite, stabilising nitroglycerin for safer use, was Alfred Nobel.

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