science

Ras cannons

Ras cannons is a science topic covered in the lgStudy science library. This page brings together a partial reference excerpt, illustrations, worked examples, real-world applications and a short study plan, so you can understand Ras cannons rather than just read about it. In short: The Ras Cannons were the first cannons built in South Africa. The two cannons were constructed during the First Boer War on a farm Bokfontein in Brits district.

Key takeaways

Ras cannons belongs to science; place it in that map before memorising details.
Learn the definition first, then one example that makes the definition concrete.
Connect Ras cannons to a quantity you can measure, compute or draw — that is where exam questions come from.
Reproduce the core statement of Ras cannons from memory before moving on to harder problems.

Reference excerpt

The Ras Cannons were the first cannons built in South Africa. The two cannons were constructed during the First Boer War on a farm Bokfontein in Brits district. They were built during a two-week period by Marthinus Nikolaas Ras, who is considered the father of South African Artillery, and his cousin, Eduard Dawid Ras who was a talented blacksmith. In December 1880, Ras requested and obtained permission from General Piet Cronjé to return home to his farm Bokfontein, near Brits, to build a cannon for the Boer forces.

"Martienie" Cannon

Marthinus Nikolaas Ras bought a number of iron shod wagon wheels from a dealer in Rustenburg, which were melted down and from which the cannons were cast. The first cannon, a 3-inch caliber named "Martienie" after Marthinus Ras, fired a 7-pound lead ball from a 4½ feet barrel. The breech plug of the cannon was damaged during the first test firing of the cannon, which necessitated some adjustments from the manufacturer. The damaged cannon breech was replaced by a reinforced breech (see picture) and the cannon was then mounted on a small wagon axle and wheels. The "Martienie" cannon was moved to the front and deployed by Commandant Eloff against the British garrison at Rustenburg. It was first fired from 2000 feet, then later from 800 and 600 feet. Between the 8 and 9 January 1881 it was used to fire 93 shots on the British fort, which led to the subsequent surrender of the fort.

"Ras" Cannon The second cannon, built at a later stage, was dubbed "Ras". It was smaller than "Martienie," being a 2-inch caliber, but it had a longer barrel measuring 5½ feet in length. "Ras" was designed to fire an elongated bullet-shaped projectile, which was (2 inches wide and 4½ inches long). However, despite its design, the cannon was never deployed operationally during the war. Following the war, "Ras" was sent as an exhibit to Europe and was displayed at the 1900 World Fair in Paris. It remained in Europe until after the conclusion of the Second Boer War when it was finally returned to South Africa.

After the war The “Martienie” cannon was used after the war to fire the noon signal in Pretoria. In 1885 a mad Austrian named Compolier loaded the cannon with rocks, aimed and fired it at the State Presidential residence in Pretoria. The shot severely damaged the cannon, and it was subsequently moved to a museum. When the British marched into Pretoria in 1900, it was already a museum piece, otherwise it would probably have met the same fate as the other Boer war cannons, which were sent to England to be melted down. The two Ras cannons survive today. "Ras" is displayed at Fort Schanskop in Pretoria, and "Martienie" at Denel in Erasmuskloof, Pretoria.

Honours After the Second World War, the 26 Field Artillery Regiment of the South African Transvaal Artillery gunner regiments, named their two senior batteries "MARTIENIE" and "RAS" after the two homemade cannons built by Martinus Ras. He was further honoured in 1981 by the regiment, by the firing of a Salute at a memorial service to celebrate the achievements of the gunmaker, 100 years after the manufacture of the first gun.

Notes

Sources L.S. Bothma; C.M. Woest; L. Groesbeek (2005). Ras-Geslagsregister. L.S. Botma & C.M. Woest. ISBN 0-620-32329-9.

Illustrations

Worked examples

Example 1 — a first encounter with Ras cannons

Start with the simplest possible case. Write down what Ras cannons claims or describes in one sentence, then invent the smallest concrete situation in which that sentence is true. In science, the smallest case is usually a single object, a single equation or a single measurement. Check that every symbol or term in your sentence has a meaning in that case.

Example 2 — changing one variable

Take the situation from Example 1 and change exactly one quantity: double it, halve it, or set it to zero. Predict what should happen to Ras cannons before you calculate. Comparing your prediction with the result is the fastest way to find out whether you understand the idea or only the words.

Example 3 — an exam-style question

Typical questions about Ras cannons ask you to (a) state it precisely, (b) apply it to given data, and (c) explain a limitation. Practise writing all three answers in under five minutes; the third part is what separates a full-mark answer from an average one.

Applications of Ras cannons

In research: Ras cannons appears in science research whenever the underlying quantities have to be modelled precisely. Papers usually cite it as a starting assumption and then explore where it breaks down.
In technology and industry: Engineering practice reuses Ras cannons in design rules, simulations and safety margins. Knowing the idea lets you read a specification sheet and understand why the numbers look the way they do.
In the classroom: Ras cannons is common in secondary-school and first-year university syllabi. It links to neighbouring topics Artillery of South Africa, Cannon, First Boer War, so understanding it makes those chapters shorter.
In everyday life: Look for Ras cannons outside the textbook — in sport, cooking, traffic, electronics or the sky above you. An example you found yourself is remembered far longer than one you were given.

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How to study Ras cannons in 20 minutes

Read the reference excerpt below once, without taking notes.
Close the page and write down what Ras cannons means in your own words.
Compare your version with the excerpt and mark what you missed.
Work through the three examples above with pen and paper.
Explain Ras cannons out loud to somebody else — or to Teacher Smith in the lgStudy chat.

Frequently asked questions

What is Ras cannons in simple terms?

The Ras Cannons were the first cannons built in South Africa. The two cannons were constructed during the First Boer War on a farm Bokfontein in Brits district.

Why does Ras cannons matter?

Because it connects several science ideas at once: it gives you a definition you can apply, a quantity you can calculate, and a way to check whether a result is plausible.

How should I study Ras cannons?

Read the excerpt, restate it from memory, then work through the examples and applications listed on this page. The five-step study plan above takes about twenty minutes.

What does this page cover?

It gives you a compact reference excerpt plus original lgStudy explanations, examples, applications and study material on Ras cannons.