gogogadgetearl

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• not so much, but i did feel somewhat calmer after listening to that ball go round and round for a few minutes.  To me it would seem all that is being proven in this demonstration is that an object in motion stays in motion at the same velocity given an equal and unvarying amount of energy.  Basic principle of inertia.  The only problem with that is that due to air resistance and friction, this machine must have some alternate source of energy to power the mechanisms below that transfer energy to the ball.  I know that friction does occur because of the clicking noise and the sound produced by either the ball rolling around on top or the gears and weights at the bottom, both equaling a loss of energy.
  • posted by: claryam
  • [ 2007.08.10 | 3:49:47pm ]
• my theory is that the top circle is slightly tilts so the the gravity of and weight of the ball itself continues its forward inertia...
  • posted by: monkey
  • [ 2007.08.13 | 2:14:05pm ]
• The tilting rings may be what keep the ball in motion, but what about the gears and actuators on the bottom that cause the rings on top to tilt?  The ball itself is not enough to generate the force needed to tilt the rings, it would just sit, and friction would prevent the ball from traveling indefinitely under it's own power. Look at it like this:  you know the little stand that has the 4 or 5 steel balls attached to strings that beat against each other for what seems to be forever?  Well, there has to be an initial power generator, lifting one of the balls and releasing it.  The inertia of the steel ball falling is stronger than that of the the remaining ones at rest, therefore it delivers the remaining energy it has when it reaches the resting balls to the ball it contacts.  And, being made of steel, a percussively responsive metal, the difference in energy is passed on through the lot to the end, where the last one flies up and returns the energy in the opposite direction.
  
  Now, the balls have a very short distance to travel, and it seems like they are able to go indefinitely because of the relatively short distance and the responsiveness of the steel, but you have to take into account the air resistance and the friction being generated at the point where the string holding the ball is both tied to the suspension rod and the ball itself.  Some of the energy is deflected up through the string, a very small amount, but it does happen.  Within minutes, the energy has died down and the process can be started over as soon as someone drops the ball, so to speak.
  
  Long story short, perpetual motion simply cannot exist in an environment that is prone to air resistance and friction.
  • posted by: claryam
  • [ 2007.08.13 | 4:02:07pm ]

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