The New Science

The other claimed that the shot would travel much further if fired at two pointsoriginal: "ponti"; these are the graduated divisions on a gunner's quadrant used to measure the angle of the barrel. lower on the squareoriginal: "squadra"; the gunner's quadrant. (which was divided into 12 parts), as appears below in the drawing.

A woodcut illustration depicts a large cannon, specifically a culverinA long-barreled cannon known for its accuracy and range., mounted on a wheeled carriage with a long trail. A gunner's quadrant—a tool shaped like a right angle with a plumb line and a graduated arc—is inserted into the muzzle of the cannon to measure its angle of elevation. The cannon is positioned on a landscape of rolling terrain.

And upon this matter, a certain sum of moneyoriginal: "danari"; literally "denarii" or coins, indicating a formal wager was placed on the outcome. was wagered; and finally, they came to the experimentoriginal: "sperientia"; in this period, the word meant both "experience" and a practical "trial" or "test.". A 20-pound culverinoriginal: "colobrina"; a long-range piece of artillery. was brought to the countryside of Santa Lucia, and each of them fired according to his proposal, without any advantage in powder or ball. Whereupon, he who fired according to our determination Referring to the 45-degree elevation advocated by Tartaglia. shot a distance (according to what was reported to us) of 1,972 perchesoriginal: "pertiche"; a unit of length that varied by region., at six feet per perch, by the Veronese standardoriginal: "alla ueronesa"; units of measurement were not standardized in the 16th century, so Tartaglia specifies the local scale used in Verona.. The other, who fired two points lower, shot a distance of only 1,872 perches.