Where did the idea of bombs being a circle with a wick come from?

Question

because now days there all wires and stuff

Answer 1

Thats how they started out;

Answer 2

In times past, the old sailing ships used to have cannonballs made of cast iron and filled with gunpowder. The cannons would launch these heavy iron balls at the enemy and the cannons always had a wick or fuse that had to be lit to explode the gunpowder and propel the ball at the target.

Even in earlier times, there were devices known as "trebuchets" and catapults that were used to launch all sorts of objects into the air, including (you guessed it) balls of clay (or rock... or iron) that contained an explosive combination of chemicals, with a little cotton wick as a fuse.

The symbol for a bomb has continued to stick, even though now bombs can be any shape or size.

Answer 3

Circles? You're confusing "bomb" (which can be a wide variety of shapes) with a "shell" (a hollowed out metal ball filled with an explosive) fired from a mortar or cannon. Early versions, before the development of the contact detonator, had a fuse that was lit before, or as (in later versions), the shell was fired so that it would explode when it reached the target.

Additional: SteveN's post (which I didn't see until I had posted my response) is also correct. The earliest shells were delivered in the manner he describes. The round shape was used because of its aerodynamic properties.

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Answer 4

At one time I think some bombs were constructed by filling a metal casing with black powder or another suitable explosive, sticking a fuse in the top and lighting it off when the time came. The image seems to have stuck.

Answer 5

Boris Badinov

Answer 6

Maybe the comic books, or maybe some bombs actually looked like that at one time.

Answer 7

the first bombs were merely iron balls filled with gun powder and a wick coming out.

Answer 8

I think that's what they were like about 400 years ago

Answer 9

The Chinese...I think ;o)

Answer 10

Explosive cannon balls.