Questions about magnetic energy, why dont we have it?

[Denken]

Ok, so I've been thinking about this for a while now, but seeing as I am still in high school i really do not have much of a background to help me out with this. My dad asked me a while ago if we had ever discussed perpetual motion machines, and of course that got me thinking on how one could possible work. So, first i have some basic questions that will either end the theory where it is or inspire it to go farther.
Magnets, i know you can create them but is there such a thing as a permanent magnet, do they decay, or stay constant?

Does moving through a coil to produce electricity reduce the strength or force of a magnet over time?

and finally is there something along the lines of magnetic friction, or maybe friction between magnetic fields?

thank you to anyone who can answer these questions!

 

[russ_watters]

Welcome to PF.

1. No, magnets don't necessarily "wear out". In other words, the electrical energy generated by them is not at the expense of degrading the magnetism.
2. Yes, when you generate energy using magnets, the magnets push back, so you have to input as much energy (or even a lot more) than you get out.

The reason perpetual motion in general is not discussed in science class is that it is an explicit violation of some of the most fundamental principles of science and it therefore doesn't work/exist.

Here's a couple of links for more information, but beyond that, since this is a site for discussing science, not a site for discussing things that sound like science but aren't, thread locked.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Perpetual_motion
http://www.lhup.edu/~dsimanek/museum/unwork.htm