A Tabletop Demonstration Railgun
The first projectiles used were pennies. They are lightweight, and good conductors.
Unfortunately, getting pennies to slide all the way through the rails was difficult. The
current pulse would damage the pennies, causing them to stick in the rails. The next projectiles
used were aluminum cylinders, 5/8" in diameter and around 3/4" long. The length provided more
surface in contact with the rails, but the problem of the projectiles sticking in the rails
still existed. The next and final projectile used was a cylindrical piece of graphite. The
graphite slugs show little damage from the current and do not stick in the rails.
Figure 7: Projectiles
