2. The chamber in the bottom was placed there for three reasons: The first for the ethanol to have a higher concentration. The second was so that we could make our cannon's barrel shorter, and the third was so that it could build up more pressure in the chamber before it releasing to the foam ball.
3. The second can does nothing for the chemical reaction. All it does is stabilize the first can.
4. The chemical formula for ethanol is C2H5OH. It creates a combustion reaction (the ethanol and oxygen in the air combust in reaction to heat and produce water and carbon dioxide):
C2H5OH + O2 -----> H2O + CO2
5.Gay Lussac's law states that temperature and pressure are directly proprtional to each other (when the temperature rises, so does the pressure and visa versa). When the ethanol in the tennis ball can ignited, the temperature rose quickly and so did the pressure. The spike in temperature and pressure shot directly to the weakest link, i.e. the foam ball.
6. The launch formula:
R= distance projectile goes through the air= 0
V= the initial velocity= 0
Theta= measure of the lunch angle= 40 degrees
g= gravitational constant= about 32.2 ft/sec
There were three likely causes of what the cannon SHOULD do:
1. The cannon would launch the foam ball.
2. The back chamber of the cannon would shoot off.
3. An exo-thermic reaction would take place and the cannon would melt :(
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