Could we ever make a device that operates with absolutely no energy loss?
WHAT IS PERPETUAL MOTION?
A perpetual motion machine is (as the name implies) a machine that moves
perpetually; it never stops. Ever. So if you created one today and set it
going, it would keep on going until the Big Freeze. Calling that “a long time”
is an understatement of epic proportions.
If you aren’t aware, the Big Freeze is the theoretical end of, well,
everything. It is the point at which the universe has expanded so much that it
reaches a state of zero thermodynamic free energy. In other words, it is the
point at which the cosmos, as a whole, will be unable to sustain motion. All of
spacetime will be at absolute zero (the coldest known temperature, where all
movement stops).
In short, the Big Freeze is essentially a time of eternal, unending,
utterly still darkness. Fortunately, it’s not set to happen for another 100
trillion years or so.
In any case, the important thing to remember is that a true perpetual
motion machine would be able to run at least that long.
There are many designs on the internet that claim to be working designs
for perpetual motion machines. If you look at those designs, it’s not too
farfetched to think that some of those machines could (if engineered correctly)
move without stopping. And if we could do this, the implications would be staggering.
We would essentially have an eternal source of energy. More than that, it would
be free energy.
Unfortunately, thanks to the fundamental physics of our universe,
perpetual motion machines are impossible.
Now, I know that there are probably a lot of people who are saying, “You
should never say ‘never’ in science.” And fair enough. I admit that new
knowledge could come along; however, in order for perpetual motion machines to
be possible, this new knowledge would have to break physics as we know it. We’d
be wrong about simply everything, and nearly none of our observations would
make any sense.
If this isn’t “impossible,” it is about as close as you can get in
science. So let’s breakdown perpetual motion machines and why we’ll never be
able to make one.
THE PHYSICS OF PERPETUAL MOTION
The first law of thermodynamics is the law of conservation of energy. It states that energy is always conserved. It means that energy can be neither created nor destroyed. Instead, it simply changes from one form to another. To keep a machine moving, the energy applied should stay with the machine without any losses. Because of this fact alone, it is impossible to build perpetual motion machines.
Why? To build a perpetual motion machine we must accomplish many things:
1.) The machine should not have any “rubbing” parts: Any moving part must
not touch other parts. This is because of friction that would be created
between the two. This friction will ultimately cause the machine to lose its
energy to heat. Making the surfaces smooth is not enough, as there is no
perfectly smooth object. Heat will always be generated when two parts rub on
each other (and that generation of heat is energy transference i.e, the motion
machine losing energy).
2.) The machine must be operated inside a vacuum (no air): The reason for
this has to do with the reason listed in number one. Operating the machine
anywhere will cause the machine to lose energy due to the friction between the
moving parts and air. Although the energy lost due to air friction is very
small, remember, we are talking about perpetual motion machines here, if there
is a loss mechanism, eventually, the machine will still lose its energy and run
down (even if it takes a long, long time).
3.) The machine should not produce any sound: Sound is also a form of energy; if the machine is making any sound, that means that it is also losing
energy.
For the sake of argument, let’s just say that somehow, we are able to
build a perpetual motion machine. Will we be able to get energy from it? Yes,
but only up to the energy that is used as an input to start the movement. A
perpetual motion machine in real life will just be an energy storage. We must
remember that the energy cannot be created; it always has to come from
something.
So, if you happen to be able to build one, you will need energy to start
the motion. This is the only energy that you will be able to harvest, since, as
stated previously, energy cannot be created. Kind of a pointless device,
really.
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