What is the principle behind my homemade railgun?

Click For Summary
The homemade railgun consists of two aluminum foil strips spaced apart on cardboard, connected to a 9V battery via alligator clips. Each clip is attached to one of the foil strips, allowing electric current to flow between them. A pair of magnets is mounted on a steel piece, which acts as a "wheel" that moves along the foil path when powered. The movement occurs due to the electromagnetic force generated by the current flowing through the strips. This setup demonstrates the basic principle of a railgun, utilizing magnetic fields to propel an object.
franz32
Messages
133
Reaction score
0
I have made an small application of a railgun. It looks simple but I don't get its principle involved here.

On a cardboard, two strips of aluminum foils are pasted qith an equal distance apart from each other, resembling a train's path.
A pair of alligator clips, both ends have 'head', in which the front heads of each are attached to one of the foils. the other ends on a 9V battery.

I assembed a pair of magnets connected by a 3 inch steel cut from a coathanger at the center of each magnet. Then here's the fun.
When I placed the "wheel" at the path, it moves away from the
start.
 
Physics news on Phys.org
Question:
Are the alligator clips connected to only ONE aluminum strip, each end, and the other aluminum strip not connected to anything electrically?
 
Yah...

Hello to you!

Hmmm, I guess I did not mention it clearly. One alligator clip is attached to one of the foils while the other one is attached to another foil.
 

Thread 'Reference frames, center of rotation, etc'

Topic about reference frames, center of rotation, postion of origin etc Comoving ref. frame is frame that is attached to moving object, does that mean, in that frame translation and rotation of object is zero, because origin and axes(x,y,z) are fixed to object? Is it same if you place origin of frame at object center of mass or at object tail? What type of comoving frame exist? What is lab frame? If we talk about center of rotation do we always need to specified from what frame we observe?
View full post »

Similar threads

Magnetic Field Computation from Thick Rectangular Conductor
  • · Replies 9 ·
Replies
9
Views
4K
Constructing a Railgun: My Cousin's Science Fair Project
  • · Replies 3 ·
Replies
3
Views
10K
PPMT, Magnetic Flux Switch, electro-permanent magnet generator
  • · Replies 8 ·
Replies
8
Views
4K
Death of a Condenser (with Autopsy)
  • · Replies 8 ·
Replies
8
Views
4K
Thunderstorms Frying My Anemometer Displays
  • · Replies 19 ·
Replies
19
Views
2K
Homemade Quantum Eraser Experiment revisited with photos and full text
  • · Replies 13 ·
Replies
13
Views
7K
How Can I Reduce Sag in My Aluminum Tubing System Using Newtonian Physics?
  • · Replies 10 ·
Replies
10
Views
3K
What if Gravity could be controlled?
  • · Replies 1 ·
Replies
1
Views
4K
What does this example say about the applicability of Bell's inequalities?
  • · Replies 38 ·
2
Replies
38
Views
8K
'levitating alternator' electricity generator question
  • · Replies 44 ·
2
Replies
44
Views
21K