Editing C-4 (explosive) (section)

=== Detonation ===
[[File:C4 explosion.jpg|thumb|A detonation within a blast-resistant trash receptacle using a large C-4 explosive charge]]

C-4 is very [[Explosive material#Stability|stable]] and [[Insensitive munition|insensitive]] to most physical shocks. C-4 cannot be [[Detonation|detonated]] by a gunshot or by dropping it onto a hard surface. It does not explode when set on fire or exposed to [[microwave]]s.<ref name="microwave">{{cite web|last1=Nagy|first1=Brian|title=Grosse Point Blank Microwave C4 Mercury Switch|url=https://www.cs.cmu.edu/~bnagy/GPB-MercurySwitch/|website=Carnegie Mellon University|access-date=14 July 2014}}</ref> Detonation can be initiated only by a [[Shock wave|shockwave]], such as when a detonator inserted into it is fired.<ref name="fuelsource" />
When detonated, C-4 rapidly [[Chemical decomposition|decomposes]] to release nitrogen, water and [[Oxocarbon|carbon oxides]] as well as other gases.<ref name="fuelsource" /> The detonation proceeds at an [[Detonation velocity|explosive velocity]] of {{convert|8092|m/s|ft/s|abbr=on}}.<ref name="Ribbands">{{cite web|url=http://www.ribbands.co.uk/prod-c4.php|work=Ribbands Explosives|title=C4 product page|access-date=2014-05-21|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170517101148/http://www.ribbands.co.uk/prod-c4.php|archive-date=2017-05-17|url-status=dead}}</ref>

A major advantage of C-4 is that it can easily be molded into any desired shape to change the direction of the resulting explosion.<ref name="fuelsource" /><ref name="shape">{{cite web|last1=Nordin|first1=John|title=Explosives and Terrorists|url=http://www.aristatek.com/Newsletter/05%2007%20July/The%20First%20Responder%20Explosives%20and%20Terrorists.htm|website=The First Responder|publisher=AristaTek|access-date=14 July 2014}}</ref> C-4 has high cutting ability. For example, the complete severing of a {{convert|36|cm|in|adj=on}} deep [[I-beam]] takes between {{cvt|680|and|910|g|lb}} of C-4 when properly applied in thin sheets.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://apps.dtic.mil/dtic/tr/fulltext/u2/479244.pdf |title=Steel cutting with high-explosive charges |id=Report 1839 |first=James A. |last=Dennis |date=December 1965 |publisher=U. S. Army Engineer Research And Development Laboratories |place=Fort Belvoir, Virginia |website=apps.dtic.mil|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190502002330/https://apps.dtic.mil/dtic/tr/fulltext/u2/479244.pdf |archive-date=2019-05-02 }}</ref>