Exploring Zero Point Energy: My Quest for the Truth

In summary, the conversation discusses several points related to physics, including the possibility of harnessing zero point energy and the importance of entropy in energy transfer. It also mentions the ban on discussing perpetual energy devices and the concept of moving energy from a higher state to a lower state to perform work. The thread is then closed.
  • #1
JayJohn85
44
0
Hello I don't know much about physics but I thought I would come here because the topic interests me and I would like more professional opinions on the matter as their seems to be a lot of disinformation out there. People claiming to have created free energy machines and the like, Which make use of tesla coils and stuff.

What I was wondering is that is zero point energy impossible to harness, Is the ground state really unavailable to us? A detailed explanation as to why this is so would be nice. I am currently obsessed with the casimir experiment which I want to replicate for myself some day once I have learned a sufficient amount of physics.

Thank you for your time.
 
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  • #2
A key thing to realize is that energy alone is not useful. Its not good enough to have energy in order to do work. You need to "move" the energy from one place to another and while doing that you can perform work. This is where the idea of entropy is important. Entropy must increase or stay the same, that means energy will only "move" in one direction, towards higher entropy.

For a practical example, consider a ship on the ocean. The ocean contains vast, vast amounts of thermal energy. More than enough to run the ship. Why not run the ship off of the ocean thermal energy? Because its not enough to simply have energy. You have to move it to get work. If you can devise a way to move the thermal energy of the warm ocean water to a colder reservoir you could do work with it (that is, power the ship). Unfortunately no such reservoir exists for the ship to take advantage of.

Zero point energy is similar. There is no where to dump it and get useful work out. To get useful work you need to move from a higher energy state to a lower energy state and output some energy for the work, but there is no lower state. Its the lowest state there is, that is the definition of zero point.

Note that discussion of perpetual energy devices is explicitly banned here. Its not science and its distracting from this forums intent.
 
  • #3
Sorry I didn't know about the ban but your analogy has really cleared up my thinking.
 
  • #4
Thanks ModusPwnd. Thread closed.
 

1. What is zero point energy?

Zero point energy is a concept in quantum mechanics that refers to the lowest possible energy state of a physical system. It is the energy that remains even at absolute zero temperature, and is constantly present in all matter and the vacuum of space.

2. How is zero point energy different from other forms of energy?

Unlike other forms of energy, such as kinetic or potential energy, zero point energy is not a product of motion or position. It is a fundamental and intrinsic property of matter and space, and cannot be completely eliminated or harnessed.

3. Can zero point energy be used as a source of infinite energy?

While zero point energy is constantly present, it is incredibly small and unstable. Attempts to extract it as a usable energy source have not been successful, as it would require more energy to extract it than it would produce.

4. Why is zero point energy important to study?

Despite the challenges of harnessing zero point energy, it is still an important concept to study. It has implications in fields such as cosmology and quantum mechanics, and understanding it can help us better understand the fundamental properties of our universe.

5. What are some potential applications of zero point energy?

While zero point energy cannot be used as an infinite energy source, it has potential applications in areas such as advanced propulsion systems, nanotechnology, and quantum computing. However, much more research and development is needed before these applications can become a reality.

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