What is a Cannon?

The cannon is a type of artillery, usually large and looks like a cylinder, that uses gunpowder or other usually explosive-based propellants to launch off a projectile over a distance. Cannons vary in caliber, range, mobility, rate of fire, angle of fire, and firepower. Different forms of cannon combine and balance these attributes in varying degrees, depending on their intended use on the battlefield. The word cannon is derived from several languages, in which the original definition can most of the be translated as a tube or cane. In modern times, cannons has fallen out of common usage, usually replaced by "guns" or "artillery", if not a more specific term, such as "mortar" or "howitzer".

What we thought would happen.

We concluded that our hypothesis would be right. We decided that our cannon would make a perfect parabola but because of the coldness and the wind the day we decided to shoot the cannons NONE of them worked.

Materials of our Cannon.

Materials

1. We obtained two empty tennis racquet bottles with caps.

2. 18 inch peice of tape.

3. Scissors.

Before we started we thought out how we wanted our cannon to look and what angle would affect the offspring of the fire. We decided that a 34 angle degree would be best for our cannon to work in the way of percision. The pressure , temperature, and volume played a big role in our decision of what our cannon would look like.

Formula.

We chose a 34 degree angle for our cannon

FORMULA! R = Vo2SinO/g.

g- the gravitational constant

O- measure the launch angle in degrees

R- the distance your projectile flies in the air. (bouncing distance don't count.)

Vo- the initial velocity which is what you are finding.

Optimal Angle.

Our optimal angle was 34 degrees. which leads us to:

In geometry an angle is measured in degrees, where a full circle is 360 degrees. As in the figure above, a smallish angle might be around 30 degrees. For very small angles, the degree is further divided in to 60 minutes. For even smaller measurements the minute is divided again into 60 seconds, However this last measure is so small, it only used where angles are subtended over extreme distances such as astronomical measurements, and measuring latitude and longitude.

Reflection.

As we look back on what progress we have made and what we have learned we have took in knowledge that we didnt know before because that was the very first time i have ever made a cannon. It was thrilling and exciting for all of us. The reaction that was suppost to be made by the ethanol didnt not turn out to work as well as we thought.

What we Observed.

Obervations.

Our experience with our cannons with quite the thrill even though they ended up not working the excitement of making them was great. Once we built our cannon we later on during the week took them outside in front of our school to fire them. We used ethanol and a wood splint to fire them this would be the combustion reaction that would occur but we observed that because of the freezing temperature of the weather our cannons did not fire.

Refection and Assessment.

I believe that if it was not cold the day that we fired our cannons that our cannon would had worked perfectly because our group though that a 34 degree angle was the right angle in order for us to achieve a successful shooting. The boyle's law was detected for our cannon and was used through pressure, volume, and velocity. Our observations of our cannon were not what i thought they would be. The temperture of our air affected our cannons alot. With the poorness of our cannon if the temperature was warmer our cannon would have worked great! If we did this another time i would choose a day that would be warm in weather so our cannons would fire.

The Charge of the Light Brigade.

This poem is about a fleet of troops who put themselves in danger by charging in an alley were they know that they are going to die. I say that they know that they are going to die here because they refer to this alley as the alley of death and is repeated many times. They decide to do this because it is there only symbol of hope. Now once they get in the alley they are ambushed by canons by almost all sides and are being quickly killed.

Pre-1700's Cannon

By the start of the 1700's the cannon was a common weapon used by European armies, and artillery companies were integral units of the armies almost on the par with the calvary. The third type on engine in the 1700's is the Trebuchets, the largest of the three types of catapults. The Trebuchet consisted basically of a long arm counterweighted to provide sufficient spring, with a leather sling on the opposite end, in which a large stone or another subject of substantial size and weight would be placed.

1800's Cannon.

The Columbiad was a large caliber, muzzle loading cannon able to fire heavy projectiles at high and low trajectories. This characteristic enabled the columbiad to fire solid shot or shell long ranges which made it an protective seacoast defense weapon for its day. Invented by Colonel George Bomford, United States Army, in 1811, columbiads were used by the United States coastal artillery from the War of 1812 until the early years of the 20th Century. Not many columbiads were used outside of the U.S. Army.