Smoke grenade facts for kids

A purple smoke grenade being used.

Smoke grenades in use at a demonstration in Paris in 2008.

A smoke bomb or smoke grenade is a special device that creates a big cloud of smoke. Sometimes, people use them as a fun toy to make large clouds of colored smoke for special effects. However, they are most often used by the military and other groups for important purposes.

What Are Smoke Bombs?

Smoke bombs are designed to quickly produce a thick cloud of smoke. This smoke can be used to hide things or people from sight. For example, soldiers might use smoke grenades to hide their movements from an enemy. This helps them stay safe or move to a better position without being seen.

How Smoke Bombs Are Used

Smoke grenades have several important uses, especially in military operations:

• Hiding and Concealing: The main use is to create a smoke screen. This screen can hide soldiers, vehicles, or equipment from the enemy's view. It makes it hard for the enemy to see what is happening.
• Marking a Spot: Smoke grenades can also be used to mark a specific location. For instance, a soldier might throw a colored smoke grenade to show a helicopter pilot exactly where to land. This helps make sure everyone knows the right spot.
• Signaling: Different colored smoke can be used to send signals. For example, red smoke might mean "danger," while green smoke could mean "all clear." This is a quick way to communicate over long distances.

How Smoke Bombs Work

Smoke bombs work by using a special chemical mixture. When the bomb is activated, a small part inside ignites this powdered chemical. This ignition causes a rapid chemical reaction that produces a large amount of smoke very quickly. After the initial burst, other parts of the mixture continue to burn slowly. This keeps the smoke cloud thick and lasting for a longer time. The chemicals used are designed to create a lot of smoke without causing a big explosion.

Related Pages

• Grenade
• Bomb

Images for kids

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  A British L83A1 Smoke Grenade, made in May 2008. This one has already been used.

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  Amphibious Assault Vehicles firing smoke grenades.

See also

In Spanish: Granada de humo para niños