A coilgun is a type of electromagnetic weapon that uses magnetic fields to accelerate a projectile. It has a range of synonyms, including Gauss gun, magnetic accelerator gun, railgun, and EM gun. A Gauss gun operates on the same principles as a coilgun but uses a series of solenoids instead of a single coil to launch the projectile. Magnetic accelerator guns use a series of coils to accelerate the projectile, while railguns use a pair of conducting rails to launch the projectile by creating a magnetic field. An EM gun is a general term for any weapon that uses electromagnetic forces to launch projectiles, and includes coilguns, railguns, Gauss guns, and more.