page_title: Contact explosive
section_title: Oxidizer and fuel
hierarchical_section_title: Contact explosive / Reasons for instability / Composition / Oxidizer and fuel
caption_attribution_description: Ball-and-stick model of the nitrogen triiodide molecule, NI3, based on this 3DChem.com model
context_page_description: A contact explosive is a chemical substance that explodes violently when it is exposed to a relatively small amount of energy. Though different substances have varying amounts of energy sensitivity, they are all much more sensitive relative to other explosives. Contact explosives are a part of a group of explosives called primary explosives which are also very sensitive to stimuli but not to the degree of contact explosives. The extreme sensitivity of contact explosives is due to either its composition, bonds, or structure.
context_section_description: Some contact explosives contain an oxidizer and a fuel in their composition. Chemicals like gasoline, a fuel, burn instead of explode because they must come into contact with oxygen in the combustion reaction. However, if the compound already contains both the oxidant and fuel, it produces a much faster and violent reaction.
caption: Nitrogen triiodide atomic shape
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