Refuting Perpetual Motion with Magnets

[acesuv]

My friend believes that he's able to create a perpetual motion machine using carefully arranged magnets and the repelling force between them in order to spin a turbine.

To refute this, I argued that perpetual motion is against the laws of thermodynamics and that friction would eventually cause the turbine to come to a rest. HOWEVER, he counters that as long as the magnets keep repelling each other, they will counteract the lost energy.

Being a layman, I am unable to really tell him why this wouldn't work at a fundamental level. Intuitively, it really does seem as though the magnets would keep repelling each other.

So I'm really hoping that somebody could give me a more satisfying explanation.

 

[sophiecentaur]

Hello acesuv
We do not discuss PM on PF. Read our rules.
It avoids our having to deal with all sorts of loonies. You are right to reject the idea on basic grounds because there is always a basic flaw in any of the schemes that people suggest. They may be very inventive and can sometimes make someone rich, at other people's (mug's) expense.