Magnetic Cannon
The magnetic cannon is a straightforward device for converting magnetic energy to kinetic energy.
A “magnetic accelerator”, “magnetic rifle”, “gauss rifle”, “linear gaussian accelerator”, or “linear chain reaction magnetic accelerator”, are other names given for this sort of gun.
Components:
- Rail
- Steel Spheres
- Disc shaped magnets
Working Principle:
A steel ball is released to start the reaction, which accelerates towards the magnet. When it collides with the magnet, like a billiard ball, the energy is transferred through the magnet and into the projectile, which travels away from the device’s end. You may make it a chain reaction accelerator by adding more stages. The more stages of an accelerator there are, and the stronger the magnets at each level are, the faster the ball bearing will exit the final stage!
When a low-velocity steel ball collides with a chain of magnets and other steel balls, the last ball in the chain is expelled with a significantly higher velocity.
The steel ball is accelerated by the magnetic cannon, which converts magnetic energy into kinetic energy.
The diagram above depicts the temporal sequence (from top to bottom) of a common setup in which four balls (the first of which is a permanent magnet) lay on a rail. When a low-velocity extra ball approaches from the left, it encounters the magnet’s attractive magnetic pull, collides with the magnet, and the final ball on the right is expelled with high velocity.
The physics of the Gauss rifle can be broken down into three phases:
- acceleration of the ferromagnetic steel ball in the magnetic field created by the magnet (frames I to III)
- momentum propagation into the chain of steel balls (frame IV)
- ejection of the final ball escaping the residual magnetic attraction (frames V and VI).
Instructions:
- Place the disc magnet in the middle of the rail.
- Attach two steel spheres to the disc magnet on the lower side of the rail (accelerator)
- Point the rail into a safe target
- Release another steel sphere from the top of the rail
- You can cascade more accelerators down the rail
Links:
https://aapt.scitation.org/doi/10.1119/1.4979653
https://www.amazon.co.uk/Magnetic-Cannon-Kit-Desktop-Warfare/dp/B0018C9TTM
https://hal.archives-ouvertes.fr/hal-02408779/document
How to make a Magnetic Cannon – Gauss Riffle
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