The spark used to ignite the gunpowder in the touch hole was supplied by a sharpened piece of flint clamped in the jaws of a " cock " which, when released by the trigger, struck a piece of steel called the " frizzen " to create the necessary sparks.

Frictional heat and sparks generated by mining equipment can ignite both methane gas and coal dust explosions.

However, this can be a dangerous method, as the iron sparks, like the magnesium strips, burn at thousands of degrees and can ignite the thermite even though the sparkler itself is not in contact with it.

Lucifers could ignite explosively, sometimes throwing sparks a considerable distance.

With care, it can be split into very thin sheets that will ignite from even the smallest of sparks.

Shade trees must not be planted near chimneys as flying fire sparks can ignite tree branches causing rapidly expanding fires.

Before this development, firearms used flintlock ignition systems which produced flint-on-steel sparks to ignite a pan of priming powder and thereby fire the gun's main powder charge ( the flintlock mechanism replaced older ignition systems such as the matchlock and wheellock ).

One reason for firing in volleys was to ensure that one man's sparks didn't ignite the next man's powder as he was in the act of loading.

Alternatively, airborne embers ( or their smaller kin, sparks ) may ignite dead material in overhanging branches.

Oil burners produced few sparks, however, and were less likely to ignite a forest than coal-or wood-fired locomotives.

Although experimenting with static electricity may be fun, similar sparks create severe hazards in those industries dealing with flammable substances, where a small electrical spark may ignite explosive mixtures with devastating consequences.

The wheellock works by spinning a spring-loaded steel wheel against a piece of pyrite to generate intense sparks which ignite gunpowder in a pan, which flashes through a small touchhole to ignite the main charge in the firearm's barrel.

The fast rotation of the wheel against the pyrites produces white-hot sparks that ignite the powder in the pan, which is transferred to the main charge in the breech of the barrel via the vent, and the gun discharges.

Like the earlier snaplock and later flintlock, the snaphance drives a flint onto a steel to create a shower of sparks to ignite the main charge ( propellant ).

The sparks ( actually pieces of burning steel broken off by the harder flint ) would ignite a very small fire as they fell onto the charcloth, the glow of which could in turn be used to ignite a wood splint, after which the cloth would be extinguished for further use.

The fight continues at a gas station, where Maxima rips a light post from the ground ; the sparks from the wiring ignite the leaking gasoline and the station is destroyed in a huge explosion.

As Jeeter and Ada sleep, sparks from the fire ignite the shingles of their house, which burns to the ground, killing them in their sleep.

The compressed air supplies enough oxygen to ignite the sample and give off sparks.

According to the elevator's manufacturer, Otis Elevator Company, a frayed cable scraping surrounding lift system components produced enough sparks to ignite a fire.

Some fire-starting systems use a large ferrocerium rod and a hard scraper to create hot sparks by manually scratching the ferro rod with a knife or sharp object to ignite man made or wild tinder.

The sparks from the welders caused the leaked oil to ignite destroying all three ships.

Heat, arcs or sparks escape from the equipment and ignite any gas or vapour that may be around.

A piece of flint held in the jaws of a spring-loaded hammer, when released by a trigger, strikes a hinged piece of steel (" frizzen ") at an angle, creating a shower of sparks and exposing a charge of priming powder.

Many contemporary illustrations of a wheellock pistol in action show the gun held at a 90 degree angle rather than vertically: this was to ensure that the priming powder in the pan lay against the vent in the barrel, and avoided a ' flash in the pan ' or misfire ( this was not the case for the flintlock, where the sparks had to fall vertically a certain distance on to the pan ).

A slow match could be next to impossible to light in rain, whereas the wheellock allowed sparks to be generated in any weather, and the priming pan was fitted with a cover that was not opened until the instant the gun was fired.

The flint strikes from the steel a shower of white hot steel shavings ( sparks ) which fall towards the priming powder held in the flash pan.

It operated using a small wheel much like that on cigarette lighters which was wound up with a key before use and which, when the trigger was pulled, spun against a flint, creating the shower of sparks that ignited the powder in the touch hole.

Large caliber muzzle-loaders such as cannons are always swabbed between shots to prevent accidents caused by live sparks igniting the fresh charge of powder as it is being loaded.

To avoid breaking the projectile up, less-lethal cartridges are often propelled by black powder, which when fired may make an eruption of sparks and smoke which is spectacularly large to those accustomed to modern cartridges propelled by more modern propellants: see images at

The Huolongjing describes the trigger device used for this as a ' steel wheel ', which directed sparks of flame onto the connection of fuses running to the multiple-laid land mines underneath the carefully hidden trap.

Twin sparks provide two flame fronts within the cylinder, these two flame fronts decreasing the time needed for the fuel charge to burn, thereby burning more of the fuel at a lower temperature and pressure.

The blue flame will sustain itself after the sparks are extinguished because the continued combustion of the flame is now energetically favorable.

During the moments of silence, it seemed to me that from each heart a spark would burst forth, and the sparks would unite in one great flame penetrating the heavens ….

After the primary offering, participants offer their own verbal or silent contributions which are carried to the Gods and ancestors with the smoke and sparks of the flame.

On September 21, 2005, JetBlue Airways Flight 292 successfully landed with its nose gear turned 90 degrees sideways, resulting in a shower of sparks and flame after touchdown.

Because many common welding procedures involve an open electric arc or flame, the risk of burns from heat and sparks is significant.

During the afternoon before the battle Fraser was described by one of his officers: " He wore no naval uniform as such, he just wore old trousers and a polo neck shirt and sweater and a rather battered admiral's hat, with his pipe belching sparks and flame.

It burst harmlessly, its effects dissipated, showering him with sparks and globs of flame that struck his hands and astonished face and then vanished in a sizzle, as if they were falling into standing water.

The elements and the personalities are also a homage to a Japanese phrase of giving birth to fire ( it is roughly translated: " lighting strikes the earth which sparks the flame ").

* Combustibles near equipment that generates heat, flame, or sparks

* The World of Virgin Spirits: home of the virgin spirits, differentiated within God Himself as " sparks from a flame " at the beginning of manifestation, prior to the beginning of pilgrimage through matter

Any open flame or electric sparks, including lit tobacco products like cigarettes, cigars or pipes, in the area also present a danger of ignition of any hydrogen gas emanating from a battery ( this is the reason, when recharging the battery in place in the vehicle or jump starting, that the negative cable of the recharger or attached to the other vehicle's jumping battery negative post is always attached away from the battery to ground on the engine or frame, and is always attached to complete the circuit only after the positive cable has been attached to the battery's positive terminal ( and is removed in the reverse order, i. e., negative cable first from the frame or engine, breaking the circuit, then positive cable from the battery )-in this fashion, any sparks which may occur will occur at the more distant location of the negative cable attachment point, away from the battery and potentially explosive gases, and no sparks will occur, as the circuit is no longer complete, when the positive cable is attached or detached from the battery ).

Although considered stable, 3-pentanone is extremely flammable if exposed to flame, sparks, or another source of heat.

As there are 2 symmetrically placed sparks plugs, the flame front must travel less distance which allows less ignition advance to be used.

As natural gas may explode when exposed to flame or sparks, this situation is dangerous.

He says he translated a quote from Pushkin into Hebrew: " From sparks shall come a flame.

When ignited, it rotates quickly, producing a display of sparks and coloured flame.