# History of the Cannon explained — From the Earth to the Moon

> Chapter companion for From the Earth to the Moon by Jules Verne.

## What happens

The Gun Club committee, led by President Barbicane, debates and decides on the design of the massive cannon needed to launch a projectile to the moon. They determine the cannon's length (900 feet), thickness (6 feet), form (a hybrid cannon-howitzer-mortar), and material (cast iron), with J. T. Maston calculating its weight and cost. Barbicane reassures the committee that funding will be secured.

## Themes in this chapter

### Scientific Progress and Innovation

The committee applies scientific principles and engineering calculations to design an unprecedented cannon, demonstrating faith in industrial genius.

### Human Ambition and Exploration

The ambitious goal of launching a projectile to the moon drives the committee to propose a cannon of gigantic dimensions, pushing the limits of technology.

### Risk and Sacrifice for Knowledge

The discussion acknowledges the risk of explosion and the need for immense resources, yet the committee proceeds undeterred.

## Character check-ins

### Impey Barbicane

Leads the committee discussion, proposing the cannon's dimensions, form, and material, and reassuring the group about funding.

### J. T. Maston

Eagerly advocates for an extremely long cannon, calculates the weight and cost of the proposed design, and displays impetuous enthusiasm.

### Major Elphinstone

Participates in the debate, questioning the feasibility of mounting the cannon and suggesting a howitzer form.

### General Morgan

Objects to Maston's extreme proposals, advocates for a cannon form, and raises concerns about cast iron's brittleness.

## Key lines

> When a projectile is hurled into space, what happens? It is acted upon by three independent forces, the resistance of the medium, the attraction of the earth, and the force of impulsion with which it is animated.

Barbicane explains that a projectile in space is influenced by air resistance, Earth's gravity, and the initial thrust from the cannon.

_Barbicane outlines the key physical forces affecting the moon shot._

> I propose to quadruple that length, and to construct a cannon 900 feet long.

Barbicane suggests making the cannon four times longer than the standard proportion, resulting in a 900-foot barrel.

_Barbicane's proposal sets the cannon's length at 900 feet._

> I think of casting this engine in the ground itself, binding it up with wrought-iron hoops, and then surrounding it with a thick mass of stone and cement masonry.

Barbicane plans to cast the cannon directly into the earth, reinforce it with iron bands, and encase it in stone and cement.

_Barbicane describes the construction method for the massive cannon._

## Links

- HTML: https://www.betterreads.online/discover/from_the_earth_to_the_moon_se/chapters/history-of-the-cannon
- Book: https://www.betterreads.online/discover/from_the_earth_to_the_moon_se
- All chapters: https://www.betterreads.online/discover/from_the_earth_to_the_moon_se/chapters