WMD

A weapon of mass destruction (WMD) is a weapon that can kill and bring significant harm to a large number of humans and animals and/or cause great damage to man-made structures natural structures, or thebiosphere in general. The scope and application of the term has evolved and been disputed, often signifying more politically than technically. Coined in reference to aerial bombing with chemical explosives it has come to distinguish large-scale weaponry of other technologies, such aschemical,biological,radiological, ornuclear. This differentiates the term from more technical ones such as chemical, bilogical, radiological and nuclear weapon, other wise known as (CBRN)

Economics impacts of cannons

 

Ancient cannons were mainly used in a warfare called siege. Siege is when an invading force surrounds a city and waits until the city's inhabintants surrender due to lack of resources. Cannnons, were very effecive at this because the cannon's could destroy resource deposits, important buildings, walls, bridges, and anything else that might pose some kind of threat to their plans. Because of sieges, many cities have fallen to invaders, and losing cities is how most nations fall.  Some examples are: Siege of Tyre, Siege of Sogdian Rock, Siege of Plevna, Siege of Metz, Siege of Delhi, Siege of Vienna, and the Siege of Paris. These siege's always brought wealth to the conquerers and brought death pain to those who were conquered.

Also, building cannon's provided economic support for the producing country. In the United States during World War I and World War II, war resources, including cannons, were being mass produced for the Allied front. Citizen's were being paid money to donate and to recycle steel and other metals to produce things made of steel.

Chemistry Component

We're basically, in this project, creating our own cannons out of a very limited amount of materials, and launching little nerf balls to see whos cannon would fire it the farthest. The gas that is being used in the cannon is ethanol, when ethanol is exposed to Oxygen it results in the ethenol being oxidised which will then be lit and hopefully cause enough pressure to fire the nerf ball.

Balanced Chemical Equation ↓

C₂H₅OH + 3O₂ → 2CO₂ + 3H₂OThe gas laws played a big part in this project.

For example, we made a small gas chamber instead of a big one, because Boyle's Law states that, the volume of the gas is inversely proportional to its pressure. We then estimated that the smaller the chamber is, the more pressure is unleashed when it is fired. Charle's Law states that, volume and temperature are directly proportional. So, the smaller the volume the higher the pressure as well. The key to this part is that the chamber cannot be so big that the pressure won't build, but not so small that the bottom of the can doesnt blow up. 

  Gay-Lussacs LawCharles Law
 Boyle's Law
 Ideal Gas Law

This also surprisingly involves Gay-Lussac's Law, Gay-Lussac's Law states that the pressure and temperature are directly proportional. The problem this poses is that if the temperature is cold outside like it is now and will be for a few more weeks, then the pressure will not build up as we hoped it would.

Ethics of Developing Weapons of Mass Destruction

 

I believe that the production of some weapons are normal. If we do not produce weapons to defend ourselves then the people that dont will easily create one and kill us. Also, weapons are mostly made to scare the enemy into submission or prevent wars or if wars were to start they are used to end them quickly.  If you are weak, and you are near a larger country, you are possible to be attacked for the purpose of gaining of land, resources and population.

Next, weapons of mass destruction should only be used for fear or just to end a war in one mighty offensive. Once one is used, for example, a hydrogen bomb dropped on Washington, D.C. or Moscow, the attacked country would retaliate with as much strength as possible. The next problem with nuculear bombs is radiation and radiation clouds. If there is a big enough nuclear explosion, a radiation cloud will be created, which will then float along with the strongest wind current, and effect everyone in it's path, not just the people near the blast zone. Also, there are biological weapons, which can be weapons of mass destruction, because if enough is dispenced, it can also be caught in a wind current and kill many until it is all used up.
This can relate to the story "A Long Way Gone" by Ishmael Beah in many ways. The way the drug were used to give the boys unimaginable toughness was used as a weapon of mass destruction, because it not only destroyed the boy's lives it gave them the ability to kill others with no remorse. The weapons that they used in this story are in fact considered to be cannons, or "mini-cannons."  

Procedures

1. Obtain Materials listed
2. Cut about 5cm off of the bottom of one of the tennis ball cans and tape it at the bottom of the other can. The barrel needs to be at a 45 degree angle.
3. Mark one side of the can at 8cm, and the opposite side 16cm.
4. Mark a line with the marker to connect these two dots.
5. Make sure that this line is also at a 45 degree angle, for hopefully the maximum distance
6. Tape the base to the bottom of the barrel.
7. Now, get the two lids of the tennis ball cans and cut off the rim.
8. Then, cut the lids so that it'll fit perfectly in the barrel (The lids must be EXACTLY the same)
9. Make several holes in the lids (preferably with a hole puncher)
10. Make the holes an even distance apart so that the gas will escape evenly from the holes. (we made about 8 arond the lid 1 in the center)
11. Tape the two lids together.
12. Insert and set the lid about halfway in the barrel.
13. Make it air tight so that it can shoot with maximum pressure.

Math Portion

Cannon Blog: Math Component

Initial velocity equation: (speed (ft/sec))cos(launch angle)

Use the quadratic model h = -16t²+v₀t+h₀ to solve the following problem.

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. 

Quadratic Model: h= -16t²+192t+32

highest point:

Since the parabola is symmetrical, the midpoint of the x in the parabola is the x in the vertex, and the y of the vertex will be the highest point of the parabola, which in this case, will result in the highest point of the cannon. 

The zeroes of this parabola is 0 and approximately 12.16sec

The midpoint of that will be (12.16+0)/2, which is 6.08(seconds).

-16(6.08)²+192(6.08)+32 = Highest point = 607.9

-192±√(192)²-4(-16)(32)   =  12.16sec

                     2(-16)            

The cannon ball is in the air for approximately 12.16seconds.

1.     How high does the cannonball go?  607.9ft

2.     How long is the cannonball in the air? 12.16seconds

Materials

• 2 tennnis ball cans and their lids
• A pair of scissors
• An 18' inch peice of tape
• A camera
• A protractor
• Paper
• Pencils