The Launching
To eject the Nerf ball from our cannon, we will be utilizing the reaction between ethanol and oxygen; the balanced chemical equation for this is as follows:
C2H5OH+ 3O2 ------------>2CO2 + 3H20
The Justification Behind the Design
With this task, we had to keep the gas laws in mind. As Boyle's Law states, pressure and volume are inversely proportional; we decided to keep the volume of the area that the oxygen and ethanol would be reacting in smaller so that the pressure will build up and push the ball out with great force.
Gay-Lussac's Law says that temperature and pressure are directly proportional. With the increase in temperature when the ethanol is lit, the pressure in the canister will increase as well, forcing the ball out of its container.
Thursday, February 3, 2011
Cannon Design: Materials and Procedure
Materials
1. 2 tennis ball cans
2. Scissors
3. 18 inches of packing tape
4. Protractor
5. Compass (mathematical)
6. Ethanol
7. Nerf ball
Procedure
1. Cut off about 1/3 of the top of one of the tennis ball cans.
2. Tape the 2 cans' lids to the sides of the can that has been cut; this will stabilize and balance the cannon.
3. Make sure that the cannon is at a 45 degree angle
4. Poke a small hole into the topside-bottom half of the cannon with the compass; this will be used to put the drop of ethanol into.
1. 2 tennis ball cans
2. Scissors
3. 18 inches of packing tape
4. Protractor
5. Compass (mathematical)
6. Ethanol
7. Nerf ball
Procedure
1. Cut off about 1/3 of the top of one of the tennis ball cans.
2. Tape the 2 cans' lids to the sides of the can that has been cut; this will stabilize and balance the cannon.
3. Make sure that the cannon is at a 45 degree angle
4. Poke a small hole into the topside-bottom half of the cannon with the compass; this will be used to put the drop of ethanol into.
Cannon Design
My partners in the actual designing of our cannon are Natassja Simpspon and Natalie Kretschmer.
This is our first design idea for our cannon; as you can see, it's pretty bad.
This is the final cannon design that we actually built and will be launching our Nerf ball from.
This is when we were first setting up and really starting to build the cannon.
This is the final product; we'll hopefully be launching it tomorrow!
This is when we were first setting up and really starting to build the cannon.
Math Component
Initial velocity equation: (speed(ft/sec))cos(launch angle)
Quadratic Model: h= -16t^2+vot+ho
A cannonball is shot upward from the upper deck of a fort with an initial velocity of 192 feet per second. The deck is 32 feet above the ground.
1. Type the model into your calculator in "Y=."
2. Graph.
3. Go to table and see how high the number in the "Y" axis goes; it will be 608.
4. 608 feet is how high the cannonball will go.
5. Scroll down the table to where the "Y" axis is closest to zero; it will be between 12 and 13.
6. The cannonball is in the air for 12 seconds.
Quadratic Model: h= -16t^2+vot+ho
A cannonball is shot upward from the upper deck of a fort with an initial velocity of 192 feet per second. The deck is 32 feet above the ground.
1. Type the model into your calculator in "Y=."
2. Graph.
3. Go to table and see how high the number in the "Y" axis goes; it will be 608.
4. 608 feet is how high the cannonball will go.
5. Scroll down the table to where the "Y" axis is closest to zero; it will be between 12 and 13.
6. The cannonball is in the air for 12 seconds.
Wednesday, February 2, 2011
Citations
www.wikipedia.org
aero-news.net
blogs.edweek.org
library.thinkquest.org
simplyartonline.net
fineartamerica.com
historylink101.com
Ethics of Weapon Development
I believe it is moral for societies to develop weapons of mass destruction. While it is a terrible thing to have to go to war, on many occasions it is necessary. If people had not been willing to fight the Germans in World War II, the Jewish, gypsies, homosexuals, along with other persecuted groups, would have continued to be killed in death and concentration camps; we might also ALL be Germans by now if Adolf Hitler had not been stopped. If the American colonists had not revolted against Britain, we might still be an English colony. Countries need to be able to build what weapons they deem necessary to protect themselves and their allies. It would be a very horrible thing if the United States was attacked and we did not have adequate weaponry to protect ourselves because someone dubbed it 'unethical.' While violence is never a good thing, on certain occasions it is a necessary evil; great weapons are often needed in order to prevent an even greater horror.
English Component: Weapons in "A Long Way Gone"
In A Long Way Gone, Ishmael, along with numerous other child soldiers have much access to weapons. I believe that these children should never have been exposed to this violence. Most were too young, naive, or innocent to really know what they were doing; the adults were completely immoral in allowing this to happen. Some may say desperate times call for desperate measures, and while I agree with this statement at times, in these circumstances, many were robbed of their childhoods and happiness in their lives.
I would certainly not say weapons development itslef is unethical, though; they just must be used responsibly. The people of Sierra Leone of course should have the right to keep and develop weaponry to protect themselves and stand up for their beliefs. It is just whenever those people get innocents involved that it is truly unethical.
I would certainly not say weapons development itslef is unethical, though; they just must be used responsibly. The people of Sierra Leone of course should have the right to keep and develop weaponry to protect themselves and stand up for their beliefs. It is just whenever those people get innocents involved that it is truly unethical.
1900s-Modern Cannon, Part 1
Autocannon
These are usually smaller in design than the field gun; they are mechanically loaded to achieve a faster rate of fire. They fire rapidly and fire shells, as opposed to bullets. They can overheat if used for sustained fire.
They are similar to a large machine gun, except that, unlike a machine gun, thay fire explosives. The autocannon has fully automatic firing, and they need either carriage or mounting to absorb recoil. They also have great range and penetration capabilities.
History:
1. They began with the Puckle gun: a heavy, tripod-mounted, single-barreled gun.It could fire and reload much faster, but it failed to stir up much interest.
2. The first modern autocannon was the QF 1 Pounder; it was also known as the "pom-pom gun." It was the first fully automatic machine gun.
3. In World War 1, autocannon were used as anti-aircraft guns in the trenches; they defended against German zeppelins' bombings. The QF 2 Pounder navy gun was developed for anti-aircraft and as a close-range defensive weapon for naval vessels.
4. Autocannon experienced much greater usage in World War 2. Heavier anti-aircraft cannon could not track the faster planes, and machine guns lacked range and fire power.
5. German Panzer II used autocannon as its main armament during the invasion of Poland and the Battle of France. It could penetrate tank armor at close ranges.
6. Autocannon could strike anywhere on an aircraft and could cause enough harm to make the aircraft inoperable.
The Luftwaffe experimented with heavy aircraft cannon.
Social and Economic Impacts
Because of these weapons' success in World War II, they are still in great usage today; they are very versatile forms of weaponry.
These are usually smaller in design than the field gun; they are mechanically loaded to achieve a faster rate of fire. They fire rapidly and fire shells, as opposed to bullets. They can overheat if used for sustained fire.
They are similar to a large machine gun, except that, unlike a machine gun, thay fire explosives. The autocannon has fully automatic firing, and they need either carriage or mounting to absorb recoil. They also have great range and penetration capabilities.
History:
1. They began with the Puckle gun: a heavy, tripod-mounted, single-barreled gun.It could fire and reload much faster, but it failed to stir up much interest.
2. The first modern autocannon was the QF 1 Pounder; it was also known as the "pom-pom gun." It was the first fully automatic machine gun.
3. In World War 1, autocannon were used as anti-aircraft guns in the trenches; they defended against German zeppelins' bombings. The QF 2 Pounder navy gun was developed for anti-aircraft and as a close-range defensive weapon for naval vessels.
4. Autocannon experienced much greater usage in World War 2. Heavier anti-aircraft cannon could not track the faster planes, and machine guns lacked range and fire power.
5. German Panzer II used autocannon as its main armament during the invasion of Poland and the Battle of France. It could penetrate tank armor at close ranges.
6. Autocannon could strike anywhere on an aircraft and could cause enough harm to make the aircraft inoperable.
The Luftwaffe experimented with heavy aircraft cannon.
Social and Economic Impacts
Because of these weapons' success in World War II, they are still in great usage today; they are very versatile forms of weaponry.
1800s-1900s Cannon, Part 1
Field Artillery in the American Civil War
12-Pounder Napoleon
These cannon were made of cast bronze with a flared front-end barrel, called a muzzle-swell. They were safe, reliable, and had amazing killing power, particularly at a close-range.
Howitzers
These cannon were short-barreled and fired explosive shells at a high trajectory. They worked best if enemies were concealed behind terrain or some sort of fortifications. They had lower powder charges and mainly consisted of bronze.
Economic Impacts
At this period in time, the South was at a great disadvantage to the North in terms of weapons production. The North had plenty of factories to create weapons, as well as troops who were generally much better trained than the Confederate troops.
Social Impacts
The South's lack of weaponry in comparison to the North had an impact on the outcomes of various points in the Civil War. If the South had had as great a number of artillery as the North, the war might have had a different ending.
12-Pounder Napoleon
These cannon were made of cast bronze with a flared front-end barrel, called a muzzle-swell. They were safe, reliable, and had amazing killing power, particularly at a close-range.
Howitzers
These cannon were short-barreled and fired explosive shells at a high trajectory. They worked best if enemies were concealed behind terrain or some sort of fortifications. They had lower powder charges and mainly consisted of bronze.
Economic Impacts
At this period in time, the South was at a great disadvantage to the North in terms of weapons production. The North had plenty of factories to create weapons, as well as troops who were generally much better trained than the Confederate troops.
Social Impacts
The South's lack of weaponry in comparison to the North had an impact on the outcomes of various points in the Civil War. If the South had had as great a number of artillery as the North, the war might have had a different ending.
Tuesday, February 1, 2011
Pre-1800s Cannons, Part 1
Naval Artillery in the Age of Sail
In the Age of Sail, naval warships dominated the waters. These cannon were used from 1571 to 1863. Because they could weigh over two tons, much manual labor was necessary. Their propellant was gunpowder, and they had to be kept in special storage below deck for safety and had to be brought up by "Powder Boys." They were inefficient, hard to be loaded, and short-ranged.
Preparation
1. The interior barrel was cleaned out with a wet swab to extinguish embers from previous firings and keep it from going off prematurely.
2. The gunpowder, followed by a wet cloth were inserted into the barrel and then rammed home.
3. Another shot was rammed in, then another cloth to prevent the shot from falling out.
4. It was then "run-out"; the gun tackles were heaved on, the carriage was pushed up against the ship's bulwark, and the barrel protruded out of the gun port.
5. The "breech", which was the touch-hole in the rear, was filled with fine, priming gun powder, then ignited.
Ignition
1. Linstock was applied with a wooden staff, holding the length of a burning match at the end to the touch hole; this was very dangerous and accuracy from a moving ship was extremely difficult.
2. Gunlocks, which were flintlock mechanisms fitted to the cannon, a cord or lanyard was pulled, and the cannon was fired when the movement of the ship was aligned properly with the enemy.
3. They could be fired around two to three times in approximately five minutes.
Battles
These were used in the Battle of Trafalgar in 1805.
In the Age of Sail, naval warships dominated the waters. These cannon were used from 1571 to 1863. Because they could weigh over two tons, much manual labor was necessary. Their propellant was gunpowder, and they had to be kept in special storage below deck for safety and had to be brought up by "Powder Boys." They were inefficient, hard to be loaded, and short-ranged.
Preparation
1. The interior barrel was cleaned out with a wet swab to extinguish embers from previous firings and keep it from going off prematurely.
2. The gunpowder, followed by a wet cloth were inserted into the barrel and then rammed home.
3. Another shot was rammed in, then another cloth to prevent the shot from falling out.
4. It was then "run-out"; the gun tackles were heaved on, the carriage was pushed up against the ship's bulwark, and the barrel protruded out of the gun port.
5. The "breech", which was the touch-hole in the rear, was filled with fine, priming gun powder, then ignited.
Ignition
1. Linstock was applied with a wooden staff, holding the length of a burning match at the end to the touch hole; this was very dangerous and accuracy from a moving ship was extremely difficult.
2. Gunlocks, which were flintlock mechanisms fitted to the cannon, a cord or lanyard was pulled, and the cannon was fired when the movement of the ship was aligned properly with the enemy.
3. They could be fired around two to three times in approximately five minutes.
Battles
These were used in the Battle of Trafalgar in 1805.
This type of cannon was adopted by the British faster than by the French, so the French were at a horrible disadvantage. 
Economic Impacts
The type of cannon described above was mainly used by the British Royal Navy at first. This gave them a good advantage over their enemies, such as the French, who were still not utilizing this sort of weaponry.
Social Impacts
Because the British made great usage of these weapons, their navy dominated the high seas during this time period.
The type of cannon described above was mainly used by the British Royal Navy at first. This gave them a good advantage over their enemies, such as the French, who were still not utilizing this sort of weaponry.
Social Impacts
Because the British made great usage of these weapons, their navy dominated the high seas during this time period.
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