Perpetual motion is impossible because it would contradict the first or second principle of thermodynamics, which state respectively that energy cannot be created or destroyed and that isolated systems tend towards a state of maximum entropy.
The rule of the game in the universe is that energy never comes from nowhere and never really disappears. It simply changes from one form to another or from one place to another. If you start a system with a certain amount of energy, it's impossible to end up with more at the end: the energy balance always remains in equilibrium. That's why a machine that would continuously produce its own energy is pure fantasy. Perpetual motion would imply creating or gaining energy for free, something totally impossible on a physical level. When we think we have found a way to achieve this miracle, we often overlook a hidden element that shifts the energy elsewhere, and we always return to point zero.
The principles of thermodynamics clearly prohibit the very idea of perpetual motion. To put it simply, the first principle is that of energy conservation—this means that energy cannot be created from nothing, nor can it be destroyed: it only changes form. Therefore, it is impossible to have a machine that produces infinite energy without an initial input. Then comes the second principle, which is based on the idea that all energy processes tend to increase what is called entropy, meaning the overall disorder. In other words, it is impossible to have a cycle where 100% of the energy is recovered without any loss, because sooner or later, part of it will inevitably be lost as useless heat. It's a bit like trying to keep a room eternally tidy without it ever getting messy: nice to imagine, but impossible in reality.
When two surfaces touch and move against each other, they generate friction, and this friction transforms a part of the kinetic energy into heat. As a result, you lose a little bit of energy each time that you cannot recover to keep your system in motion. Even air causes friction that slows down everything that rotates or slides. For example, a spinning wheel will always eventually come to a gradual stop, precisely because of these energy losses. Under these conditions, it is impossible to continue spinning indefinitely without regularly adding an energy boost to compensate for what is lost.
All machines, even the best-designed ones, face unavoidable limits: material resistance, wear, mechanical fatigue, and even manufacturing imperfections. Every part, even when designed with precision, eventually wears out or breaks. Even if we imagine an ultra-lubricated mechanism or an axle mounted on ball bearings, there will always be some energy loss, no matter how minimal. The materials used, whether steel, copper, or even diamond, all exhibit internal resistance that gradually converts a portion of kinetic energy into heat. And technically speaking, no motor, wheel, or bearing is truly perfect. These small imperfections, invisible to the naked eye, are enough to shatter the fantasy of the ideal, perpetual, and effortless machine.
Over the centuries, many inventors have attempted to create perpetual motion machines, but so far, none have been able to operate sustainably without an external energy source.
In 1775, the Academy of Sciences in Paris officially decided to no longer consider proposals regarding perpetual motion, deeming the subject impossible given the scientific knowledge of the time.
Even in the absence of apparent friction, the fundamental laws of thermodynamics prevent a machine from producing as much energy as it consumes, making any perpetual motion machine impossible.
The "State Pendulum" installed at the University of Otago in New Zealand holds the record for the longest continuous motion observed, oscillating without stopping since 1864. However, it is not a true perpetual motion, as it gradually consumes gravitational potential energy.
This often stems from a poor understanding of physical laws or hopes for revolutionary discoveries. Moreover, the myth of perpetual motion exerts a lasting intellectual appeal on inventors, dreamers, and enthusiasts seeking to challenge the established foundations of contemporary science.
Yes, many inventors over the centuries have tried to create devices that are supposed to achieve perpetual motion. However, after detailed scientific analysis, all these attempts have failed due to the laws of physics and the inevitable energy losses, particularly from friction and resistance.
The second law states that entropy, or disorder, in a closed system always tends to increase over time. In other words, any transformation of energy results in irreversible losses in the form of heat or friction, thus preventing a machine from operating indefinitely without an external supply of energy.
Although magnets generate forces without an apparent input of energy, these forces alone cannot sustain perpetual motion. Any generated movement will eventually slow down and stop due to energy losses caused by friction, air resistance, and other physical constraints.
This contradicts the fundamental principles of physics, particularly the conservation of energy, which states that the total energy of an isolated system remains constant. Thus, no machine can continuously produce energy without an external input.
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