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.