Enlglish Component: A Long Way Gone Ethics

Ethics of Weapon Development:

I don't find any morality in developing weapons without a good reason because cannons are only good for destruction and harming others. The only time cannon would be beneficial to society is if it would terminate a specific person/group who is trying to bring harm to many innocent people. Even then, when planning to use a cannon there should be a thought out plan so there is a less of a chance that possibly thousands of innocent civilians will be killed. I think that unless cannons are being used, they should be locked up to prevent the deaths of many innocent people. Killing people used to be a skill that came with years of practice, and even then very few people could be killed at a time by using a sword or bow. Now, all it takes is some aim and the capability to pull a trigger. Now, there is practically no skill needed to kill someone, or a large group of people.

A great example of how weapons only bring harm and chaos to many people is in A Long Way Gone. Ishmael Beah, along with countless other child soldiers, were forced to use disastrous weapons such as grenades and AK-47s. During the Sierra Leone War, hundreds of thousands of innocent people were killed. Drugs, war movies, and other surrounding influences made the boys have no other choice but to ruin their lives, and many others, to live. While the drugs temporarily made them emotionless killing machines, after they had been removed from the war  the soldiers' lives were changed forever by what they've seen and done. As I have said above, it was easy for Ishmael to kill people because there was really no skill involved. Not much training was required and he still shamelessly killed thousands with ease because they didn't know any better. Ishmael and other soldiers had become so brain washed that killing became a second nature.

In conclusion, I am generally against the use and creation of weapons unless there is a specific, good, reason that in the end will help mankind.

Chemistry Comonent

Angle of Cannon:
 The first thing our group decided was to have the cannon shoot at a 45* angle, as stated below. We all thought that with a 45* angle, the cannon would have the perfect balance of height and distance, making it the best possible launch available.

Gas Law: Boyle's Law:
 As you can see below, our group decided that having a small combustion chamber would be best because Boyle's Law states that with a decrease in volume, you get an increase in pressure. We thought it would be just as simple as that: cut the cannon to be really small, but we noticed there was much more to it than that. We realized that if we cut the cannon too small, oxygen would become the limiting reagent instead of the ethanol, resulting in a incomplete reaction. (No reaction= No BOOM!) :)

Balanced Equation:
As with all combustion reactions, the format for the equation is C_xH_x + O₂ → CO₂ + H₂O . The chemical formula of ethanol is C₂H₅OH. As you can see to the right, the chemical equation for this reaction is C₂H₅OH + O₂ → CO₂ + H₂O. Next, all you have to do is balance, as I also did to the right.

 Final Equation:  
C₂H₅OH + O₂ → 2CO₂ + 3H₂O

Designing Our Cannon

 Brainstorming:

At first, no one had any ideas, but then we began playing around with the cannons and thought of putting on its side with the the can laying across it. This way, the cannon would not tip over . . . but it would roll. Eli said it would be good to have a small barrel, so we thought we could use the part we cut off, but we didn't know for what, so we decided to work on that as we go. I didn't understand how the cannons would stay together sturdily, so I suggested to cut a part out of the base to make it more stable. Once we had our general idea, we decided to just go with it.

 Building Process:

 

Step One:

Obtain the materials seen in the photo:

1. Two tennins ball cans

2. A pair of scissors

3. 18in of tape

Assumed Materials:
1. Protractor/Ruler
2. Marker

Step Two: 

Draw the design that is going to be 

used to biuld your cannon.  

Bob and I begin marking where we are going to cut

 Step Three:

We began building the cannon. We decided to have a small cut in the base so the barrel could "sit" in it.  

I begin cutting bit base while using my death grip. Cute :)

Step Four:
We start to cut the base making it big enough for the barrell to lay in.

Bob adds cutting marks to the barrel

Step Five:

Marking the place we were going to cut the barrell, we made the cut so that their was only half of the barrell left. We did this so that there wouldnt be enough space for the gas to expand.   

 

Step Six:

We cut the tennis ball can about halfway down or about 5in, from  the rim. This also made it 

easier for us to use a fourty-five degree angle. We chose that angle so that the cannon would 

shoot a greater distance. 

Sarah trims down our extra support system at the end to ensure our 45* angle!

Step 7: We decided to use the part of the barrel we cut as an attachment to the end of it so our cannon would not roll and to ensure it would stay at a 45* angle.

Final Product

Conclusion:
As expected, we did run into some errors:

1.      The tape only stuck to itself

2.       It was hard to punch a hole in the can to start cutting without thinking it would break apart

3.      Measuring an angle against two cylinders is harder than it looks

4.       Having to keep making small cuts became annoying, but you didn’t want to make a cut that was too big (you can always take away, but once you cut it off you can’t put it back on.) 

Overall, I think our group worked fairly well together. By building our cannon as we go and dealing with issues as they happened, I think we made the best cannon we could.

Enlgish: Citation

"Big Guns at Gettysburg." U.S. National Park Service - Experience Your America. May 1998. 06 Jan. 2011 .

"Falconet (cannon)." Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia. 17 Jan. 2011. 20 Jan. 2011 .

"Gatling gun." Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia. 29 Jan. 2011. 31 Jan. 2011 .

"QF 2 pounder naval gun." Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia. 14 Dec. 2010. 10 Jan. 2011 .

"Tsar Bell and Tsar Canon in the Moscow Kremlin, Russia." Moscow-Taxi.Com - travel and event guide for Moscow Russia. 10 Jan. 2011 .

"Tsar Cannon." Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia. 19 Nov. 2010. 09 Jan. 2011 .

Hisory Component

Cannon Designs

Pre-1800s:

Falconet:

Developed during the late 15th century, the Falconet can fire a round shot approximately 5,000 feet.This cannon got its name from the small lethal shots of weight that was equal to the weight a bird prey, resulting in a falcon design on it. The falconet was a light cannonmiddle ages. Its barrel was approximately 4 feet long, had a caliber of 2 inches and weighed approximately 500 pounds. This used 0.5 pounds of black powder to fire a 1 pound round shot They could also be used to fire grapeshot. This cannon was used heavily during the Thirty Years War, English Civil War, US Civil War, American Revolution and as Naval    Artillery during the Age of Sail.

Tsar:

 The Tsar Cannon is a huge cannon commissioned by Tsar Feodor and Andrei Chokhov in 1586. This cannon weighs about 44.3 tons, has a length of 17.5 ft, a bronze-cast  barrel with a diameter of 35 in, and an external diameter of 47.2 in. It was originally created with the purpose of defending the Kremlin's Savior Gate, which leads to Red Square, in Moscow,  but the canon was never actually fired and has remained on display in the Kremlin as a fine example of Russian workmanship. The Tsar cannon fires 800kg grapeshots for ammunition.

Cannon

 1800-1900:


Napoleon: 

This cannon is a bronze smoothbore cannon that fires twelve pound shot, shell and canister rounds. The Napoleon is also referred to as the 12-pounder bronze gun, model of 1857 because of the year it was made and the type of ammunition it uses. The Napoleon was considered as a light cannon, all though it weight about 1,200 lbs and can fire ammunition about 300 yards, with accuracy. During the American Revolution, this cannon was used by both sides but most-favored by the north,  specifically in the battle of Gettysburg. These cannons were typically manufactured Massachusetts by the Ames Company and the Revere Copper Company, but they were also made in Tennessee, Louisiana, Mississippi, Virginia, Georgia and South Carolina.

Gatling Gun:
Designed by Richard J Gatling in 1861, and patented in 1862, some say this cannon was the first ever prototype of the machine gun because of its rapid-fire. Although the first Gatling gun was capable of firing continuously, it required a person to crank it; therefore it was not a true automatic weapon. The first time this cannon was ever employed in combat was during the American Civil War in the 1860s, but it was also later used during the Spanish-American War. The Gatling gun's operation centered on a cyclic multi-barrel design. Each of the six barrels fired a single shot when it reached a certain point in the cycle. The Gatling gun used .58 caliber ammunition when in use.

1900- Modern Day:

Field Howitzer Cannon:

This cannon is known for its short barrel length and the use of explosive charges to propel ammunition, which were shells,  at high trajectories. Because of this, a Howitzer can be characterized as a “mix” between a gun and a mortar. This cannon was used heavily throughout WWI and WWII, but an earlier variation of this cannon was used during the Battle of Manila, in 1899. The earliest type of a howitzer cannon was developed during the late 17th century, but the field howitzer was not made until the 20th century in Europe.

 Autocannon: QF 2 Pounder Mark VIII

This cannon fires steel-link belts or shells as fast as a machine gun, which is why it is a form of autocannon. Originating in Great Britain, this cannon began to be designed in 1923 for the Royal Navy, but it was not until 1930 that it entered the service. This cannon was used in the naval battles during various British battles. The QF 2 Pounder Mark VIII weighs 850 lbs and is 102.6 in long. This cannon has 8 barrels and has a rate of fire of 115 rpm and shoots at 2,400 ft per second.. In can shoot 13,300 ft effectively, but a maximum of 15,000 ft and has a calibre of 1.575 in. 

Economical Impacts:

Making newly invented cannons helped the economy by providing many jobs to people in the surrounding area, but cannons could also be very hurtful to an areas economy as well. It is expensive to make cannons, but if there is a good design behind it a new cannon has the potential to be extremely beneficial to an area's economy. If a cannon works well, it could pay for itself tenfold by helping a country conquer enemy territory, resulting in having all of the enemy's money. Cannons could also help with raiding a surrounding area to get money, even if it means not conquering. Either way would greatly help a country's economy. Also, if a cannon goes well, there is a good chance that new variations/models of the cannon will be created, which means businesses will open and more jobs will be provided. On the other hand, if  a cannon doesn't work as planned, a lot of people would not have jobs and the expense to make the cannon would hurt the economy.


Social Impacts:
While they do help protect a country & citizens and better prepare the military for battle, cannons also promote violence, which could lead to conflicts with other nations or even within a nation/community. By having cannons, it is easier to conquer land, which would destroy the relationship with the people who lived there. In addition, by having cannons, other nations may find the country with cannons a threat to them, which would prompt them to attack. As for conflicts within a region, some people don't agree with the destruction and harm cannons cause to other people, while other people might completely agree with the violence that come with cannons. This could lead to the community being divided. On the contrary, having cannons could make a group of people become more united because they all have the same belief. Overall, cannons can either destroy or make relationships in a society.

Cannon Project

This is a project about cannons that involves all of my classes. I will be studying the designs of different cannons, social and economical impacts, ethics of cannons, ethics of cannons when being used by child soldiers and how they were affected,  predicted trajectory using quadratics, weapons of mass destruction, gas laws, angles of trajectory, the factors involved when building a cannon, how to build a cannon, and, of course, how to create a blog where people comment!

After we research and build our cannons, we will fire a Nerf ball by igniting ethanol and oxygen to produce carbon dioxide and water.

Wish me luck!

~Samantha Diane :)