Magnetic Accelerator Simulation
A Gaussian cannon (or Gauss rifle) is a magnetic accelerator that uses permanent magnets and steel balls arranged in a line. When a ball rolls slowly toward a magnet, it is captured and the impact energy propagates through the chain — but because the ball on the far side of each magnet sits at the top of a magnetic potential well, it is released with much greater kinetic energy than the incoming ball had. Each stage amplifies the speed. The energy comes from the magnetic potential energy: when the incoming ball "falls" into the magnet's potential well, it gains kinetic energy. The ball on the exit side, already sitting near the magnet, only needs to climb a small potential hill to escape. The net result is a transfer of magnetic potential energy into kinetic energy of the ejected ball.