Railgun facts for kids

A railgun is a gun that fires metal projectiles (bullets) using a magnetic field produced by electricity. Unlike conventional guns, it does not use brass casings or gunpowder, and rarely needs to be cleaned or unjammed. Currently most railguns are experimental and are not used in war yet, but the U.S. Army is expecting to create one for war within the next few decades. In theory, a railgun could fire a bowling-ball-sized projectile fast enough to destroy a small building, even over long distances. Railguns are usually very large and not portable because of the need for a large power supply. There have been proposals to use the same technology for non-weapon purposes, such as aircraft and spacecraft launchers and specialized tools.

Images for kids

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  Test firing at the United States Naval Surface Warfare Center Dahlgren Division in January 2008

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  German railgun diagrams

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  Drawings of electric gun projectiles

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  Electromagnetic railgun located at the Naval Surface Warfare Center

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  Diagram showing the cross-section of a linear motor cannon

See also

In Spanish: Cañón de riel para niños