Gauss Rifle – Magnetic Accelerator

This model demonstrates a Gauss gun, a physics experiment that uses magnets to launch steel ball bearings at high speeds. The device is also known as a magnetic linear accelerator. When the first ball is rolled toward the setup, it gains initial kinetic energy. As it approaches the first magnet, the magnet exerts a force on the steel ball, accelerating it and further increasing its kinetic energy. When the ball collides with the magnet, it comes to rest, and its kinetic energy is transferred to the magnet. In turn, the magnet transfers this energy to the next steel ball in line, which then collides with the third ball, transferring the energy down the line. This energy causes the third ball to accelerate toward the second magnet, and the process repeats. Each time a ball is launched after a collision, it moves with a higher velocity than the previous ball.