Why is perpetual motion impossible? For example, can’t you just redirect some of the energy produced from a generator into keeping itself running?
In: Physics
Sure, let’s try it. Let’s say you have a generator that feeds an electric motor that turns the generator. And let’s say the generator produces 100 energies. So the 100 energies goes through some wires to the electric motor, but some of that energy is converted to heat because the wires have resistance. So now the electric motor is fed with 95 energies. Electric motors get hot too so we have losses due to heat, and they make a lot of noise too so we loose some to sound energy so the motor is providing 88 energies to the generator. The generator gets hot as well and makes a bunch of noise so now it is producing 80 energies. So now the cycle repeats and each time you lose more energy to heat, noise, etc.
The main reason why perpetual motion doesn’t work is that in order to compensate for losses due to friction, noise, heat, etc, you have to put in more energy than you get out of the system. And by increasing the amount of energy you put in you also increase the amount of losses, so you have to put in an infinite amount of energy to keep the system running.
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