- #1
kop442000
- 34
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I'm trying to explain to my friend why the following would not work, but embarrassingly, I'm having trouble.
You have a ramp that allows a ball bearing to roll up, and a strong magnet at the top which is able to pull the ball up the ramp. But there is a hole halfway up the ramp, and so the ball falls through and goes back to the start.
Obviously this wouldn't really be a perpetual motion machine, but I can't explain why not. I can say thinks like "friction" or "magnets run out", but I don't feel like they are very rigorous or satisfactory answers.
Thanks in advance!
You have a ramp that allows a ball bearing to roll up, and a strong magnet at the top which is able to pull the ball up the ramp. But there is a hole halfway up the ramp, and so the ball falls through and goes back to the start.
Obviously this wouldn't really be a perpetual motion machine, but I can't explain why not. I can say thinks like "friction" or "magnets run out", but I don't feel like they are very rigorous or satisfactory answers.
Thanks in advance!