why can’t we use magnets for perpetual motion?

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I mean, I always used to fancy as a kid why can’t we use magnets to keep a fan going in circles? Why can”t we create a perpetual machine using magnets? Even if the magnets get worn out, we can still use them for considerable time. What is the science behind it that makes it impossible?

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19 Answers

Anonymous 0 Comments

Energy can neither be created nor destroyed.

Friction from rubbing generates heat. Heat is a form of energy, therefore this increase in heat must mean a decrease in energy somewhere else. The source would be motion, so anytime you have friction you have loss of motion.

If you could create a frictionless fan, something that never touched anything maybe you could have a perpetual motion machine?

Note that if you tried to use this fan to power anything you’d be pulling energy out of its motion and it’d slow down.

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