Unlimited Energy: A Perfect Magnet-Powered Newton's Cradle in a Vacuum

[rollcast]

If we imagine a newtowns cradle now change it to be like the one from xmen without the strings, I know this was cgi but let's imagine it was placed in a perfect vacuum and was operated with permanent magnets that won't degrade.

Would this reamain running forever after the inital energy input

 

[ZapperZ]

If we imagine a newtowns cradle now change it to be like the one from xmen without the strings, I know this was cgi but let's imagine it was placed in a perfect vacuum and was operated with permanent magnets that won't degrade.

Would this reamain running forever after the inital energy input

When metallic objects move due to forces of a magnetic field, the metallic object also creates its own induced magnetic field (it's motion in the magnetic field induced a current that creates its own magnetic field - see Lenz's Law). This in turn will try to oppose its motion. So eventually, something like this will stop.

Zz.

 

[falcon32]

Don't forget that the collisions between the balls in the Newton's cradle are not perfectly inelastic...so a little bit of energy is used up every time they collide.