From the Earth to the Moon, Chapter 7 summary
Chapter 7 of 51 · Part 1 · 7 min to read the chapter
In Chapter 7, Barbicane gathers a technical committee and makes the projectile their first concern, since its size determines the cannon’s dimensions. After explaining how a mountain telescope could track a nine-foot shell, he wins approval for aluminum as a strong, light material despite its high cost.
What happens
- On October 8, four Gun Club experts meet at Barbicane’s home to discuss the projectile before the cannon and powder.
- J. T. Maston celebrates the cannonball as an expression of human power, while Barbicane redirects discussion toward practical questions.
- Barbicane proposes a mountain telescope powerful enough to follow a projectile nine feet across.
- The committee finds that a hollow iron shell weighing 20,000 pounds would have walls too thin for its purpose.
- Barbicane proposes an aluminum shell with twelve-inch walls, weighing 19,250 pounds, and the other members approve it despite the expense.
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In this chapter
What to notice
Observation becomes a requirement of the experiment. That requirement determines the shell’s minimum visible size and drives the discussion of weight and material.
Quick check
Why does Barbicane reject a cast-iron shell weighing 20,000 pounds?
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