A cannon is a piece of artillery that launches a projectile by using gunpowder or other explosives. Cannons were first introduced in medieval China where they were used in warfare. Cannons were also popularly used during the World Wars. Cannons vary in size, range, angle of fire, fire power, etc; however, a cannon has several standardized parts.How does a cannon work?
The rear of the main body of a cannon is referred to as a breech where fuel is deposited in and also allows combustible gases to escape through an air vent in it when the cannon if fired.The central tube where the cannonball is held is called the bore. The central part is the point at which the weapon is mounted.
The cannonball is released from the muzzle which is the front of the cannon. The shape of the muzzle allows for a safe release of gases after the cannon is fired.
The Launching Angle
In order to maximize the horizontal distance travelled, the launching angle of a cannon has to be 45°. The maximum angle at which the cannon can be fired is 90 degrees; (since if the angle is greater than 90°, the cannon would shoot backwards or straight upward!) Using the equation d = (v²/g)sin2θ the best launching angle can be figured out. d is the horizontal distance, v is the velocity of the projectile, and g is the gravity. By plugging 90 degrees into the equation, the value of the theta can be found: 90/2 = 45°
