Caliber (artillery)

High school (ages 12+)
Science & Technology

Name:

Date:

Step 1 · Read the article

Open the article and read it at the level above. Then answer the questions below in your own words.

https://smallwhale.org/articles/caliber-artillery

Write what each word means, using the article.

Do not copy the article. Write two things you learned, the way you would explain them to a friend.

Answers below are taken from the article’s stored facts, so they match what the student read.

1. What is the primary definition?The internal diameter of the gun barrel
2. What is the units of measurement?Typically millimeters (mm) or inches
3. What does 'caliber' mean for a cannon?Caliber is the inside width of a gun barrel. It tells how big the projectile can be and is measured in millimeters or inches.
4. Why do some artillery pieces say something like 155mm/45?The first number is the barrel’s width (155 mm). The second number, 45, shows the barrel is 45 times that width long, about 7 meters.

Internal Ballistics: The study of projectile motion and propellant combustion within the gun barrel.
Muzzle Velocity: The speed of a projectile as it exits the barrel of a firearm.
Rifling: Spiral grooves inside a gun barrel that impart spin to a projectile for stability.