Coilgun

A coilgun (also known as Gauss gun or Gauss rifle) is a type of cannon that uses a series of electromagnets to accelerate a magnetic shell to very high velocities. The appellation "Gauss gun" comes from Carl Friedrich Gauss, who formulated mathematical descriptions of the electromagnetic effect used by coilguns.

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Coilguns are often mistakenly called railguns by many sources, and while they are similar in general concept (that is, a magnetic gun), they differ in operation, as a railgun accelerates projectiles down two parallel conducting rails. Coilguns are essentially identical to mass drivers, though on a smaller scale.

Cannon: A cannon is any large tubular firearm designed to fire a heavy projectile over a considerable distance. The term can apply to a modern day rifled machine gun with a calibre of 20 mm or more (see autocannon)....

Electromagnet: An electromagnet is a type of magnet in which the magnetic field is produced by a flow of electric current. The magnetic field disappears when the current ceases....

Carl Friedrich Gauss: Carl Friedrich Gauss (Gau?) (April 30, 1777 – February 23, 1855) was a German mathematician and scientist of profound genius who contributed significantly to many fields, including number theory, analysis, differential geometry, geodesy, magnetism, astronomy and optics. Sometimes known as "th...