Dynamite
The dynamite being used was most likely made of
nitroglycerin. The dynamite was used until 3-6in were
left to carve with hand tools or drills. (NPS). Now
the physics behind dynamite in very interesting. The
dynamite is stored as potential energy once placed in
the granite. The dynamite may seem to exert a force
outward but that is really air pressure. Once the
dynamite explodes from a percussion force (then
breaking of weak bonds to releasing the raw atom) the
energy is then converted to thermal, kinetic, and
sound energy. (2). Also lets do the math. Dynamite was
used to sculpt 90% of the 450,000 tons of granite.
That is 405,000 tons were removed by dynamite itself.
Also the granite has a force which resists the
explosion until it break.The strength of granite can
be found through Mohr - Coulomb's equation.
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