Perpetual Motion Machines

Introduction

• Baskara the Learned (1159 AD)
  • Proposed the first design for a perpetual motion machine.
  • Concept: A wheel with curved reservoirs of mercury that causes imbalance and perpetual motion.

Definition of Perpetual Motion Machines

• Machines that can perform work indefinitely without an external energy source.
• Examples:
  • Windmill producing its own breeze.
  • Light bulb providing its own electricity.

The Allure of Perpetual Motion

• Transformational potential for energy use.
• Could theoretically sustain human life indefinitely if perfectly efficient.

Fundamental Laws of Thermodynamics

First Law

• Energy cannot be created or destroyed.
• A machine can only produce as much energy as it consumes.
  • Rules out any useful perpetual motion machine.

Second Law

• Energy tends to spread out due to processes like friction.
• Real machines generate friction and heat, which depletes energy.

Failed Ideas for Perpetual Motion Machines

1. Overbalanced Wheel

   • Variants with rolling balls or weights.
   • Issue: Center of mass shifts downward; behaves like a pendulum.

2. Self-Watering Pot (Robert Boyle, 17th Century)

   • Theorized capillary action could keep water cycling.
   • Issue: If strong enough to draw water up, it prevents falling back.

3. Magnetic Ramp Machine

   • Ball pulled up by a magnet, falls through a hole to repeat.
   • Issue: Magnet would hold the ball at the top, losing energy over time.

Conclusion

• All proposed machines ultimately violate the laws of thermodynamics.
• Also drawing energy from external sources is common in perceived perpetual motion machines.
• Future possibilities:
  • New forms of matter may challenge existing laws.
  • Potential for perpetual motion on a quantum scale.
• The search for perpetual motion continues.