Why are perpetual motion machines impossible?
In: Physics
There are two core problems with perpetual motion.
First, any interaction will slow the device down. Friction, pressure, or simply just trying to extract energy from the device will slow it. Energy **must** be conserved, and cannot be created or destroyed, only transformed between various forms. This is a non-negotiable aspect of physics called the 1st Law of Thermodynamics.
Second, all objects inherently lose energy to their surroundings over time, even without any interactions. Energy is, gradually, lost to a process known as Entropy Generation, and as a result while the energy is not destroyed, it is transformed into something *permanently* useless. This is *also* a non-negotiable aspect of physics, and is called the 2nd Law of Thermodynamics.
Because of the 1st Law; perpetual motion devices, even if they could exist, cannot be used as a perpetual power source.
Because of the 2nd Law; perpetual motion devices straight up cannot exist anyway.
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