ELI5: Explain Like I'm 5

Steam cannon

A steam cannon is a machine that uses steam to fire a projectile. Basically, the steam builds up a lot of pressure inside the cannon, then the pressure pushes the projectile (like a big rubber ball or rock) out of the cannon really far. This is usually used for fun and entertainment, making a loud noise, sending the projectiles really far, and sometimes for a science experiment such as measuring how far the projectile will fly.