http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Molotov_cocktail
Molotov cocktail, also known as petrol bomb, benzine torch, molotov grenade or molotov bomb, is the generic name for a variety of crude incendiary weapons. While they are commonly associated with irregular military forces and rioters, they are actually more frequently used for basic arson. In urban slang, they are often referred to as a homemade frag.
Mechanism
A Molotov cocktail consists of a glass bottle partly filled with flammable liquid, typically gasoline, alcohol, methanol or ethanol. The mouth of the bottle is stopped up with a cork or other type of airtight bung, made of rubber, glass, or plastic, and a cloth rag is fixed securely around the mouth. The weapon is used by first soaking the rag in a flammable liquid immediately prior to using it, lighting the rag, and throwing the bottle at the target. The bottle shatters on impact, spilling the flammable liquid over the target, which is then ignited by the burning rag.
Many substances may be added to the basic Molotov cocktail to enhance its use as a weapon.
Molotov cocktails are similar to napalm bombs in principle. Napalm was originally made by combining flammable naphthalene and petrol with a thickening agent palmitic acid, the latter two being the main ingredients of Molotov cocktails. When gasoline is used as the main ingredient, motor oil is commonly added to help the gasoline cling to the target.
