Friday, November 20, 2015

Information

Have you ever stopped to think about our energy crisis? All of mankind- at least in the first world-  runs on one thing: energy. We need to solve this problem. But how? All of the fuels we have seem to run out.The modern world is so reliant on technology. What can we do keep our tech running? We need some sort of energy we can constantly rely on. We’ve been thinking, and we found that the answer is quite simple: perpetual motion. Perpetual motion is motion that continues forever without any external  source of energy. If we could somehow harness the energy from this everlasting source, then we could have an infinite amount. “But if was just this simple,” you ask, “Why haven’t we harnessed this energy before?” Well, the answer is we’ve tried. The first recorded attempt to make a machine that runs forever was in the late 12th century. A man named Villard de Honnecourt attempted to draw this intriguing machine. But when later tested in real life, the machine didn’t spin at all. Another attempt was made by Mariano di Iacopo, and his idea showed again a wheel, but this time with wooden planks that would supposedly bend to create a moving force. Yet again the machine failed to spin continuously. Even the great Leonardo Da Vinci dreamed  of creating the perpetual motion machine. As you have probably guessed, his idea was a flop. The perpetual motion machine has eluded geniuses since the 12th century. If you haven’t caught on yet, our point is that the perpetual motion machine has been deemed impossible.This is because of the first and second law of thermodynamics. These laws state that: Energy can be transferred and change form, but it cannot be created or destroyed. The second law states in all energy exchanges, if no energy enters or leaves the system, the potential energy of the state will always be less than that of the starting state. But what if we had all the energy that  we could achieve from a perpetual motion machine. What could we do if we had all the energy achieved from the impossible machine? Energy could be much cheaper, therefore making those who have a hard time getting energy able to have energy. Therefore, people in the developing countries would have the tools needed to develop and become wealthier. This would help improve people’s life span, quality of life, and other important aspects of life. With unlimited energy, we could also work on cures for certain illnesses such as cancer, leukemia,  and other life-threatening illnesses. As you can see, there are many benefits to having unlimited energy. Perpetual motion machines are something scientists should spend more time researching because of the large benefits to the world. It may not be perpetual motion, but the solution to our energy crisis is definitely a think outside-the-box idea.

Friday, October 9, 2015

Second Law of Thermodynamics


What is the second law of thermodynamics? The Second Law of Thermodynamics states that "in all energy exchanges, if no energy enters or leaves the system, the potential energy of the state will always be less than that of the starting state." This is also commonly referred to as entropy. A watch spring-driven watch will run until the potential energy in the spring is converted, and not again until energy is reapplied to the spring to rewind it. A car that has run out of gas will not run again until you walk 10 miles to a gas station and refuel the car. Once the potential energy locked in carbohydrates is converted into kinetic energy (energy in use or motion), the organism will get no more until energy is input again. In the process of energy transfer, some energy will dissipate as heat. Entropy is a measure of disorder: cells are NOT disordered and so have low entropy. The flow of energy maintains order and life. Entropy wins when organisms cease to take in energy and die.

First Law of Thermodynamics

What is the First Law of Thermodynamics? First Law of Thermodynamics states that energy can be changed from one form to another, but it cannot be created or destroyed. The total amount of energy and matter in the Universe remains constant, merely changing from one form to another. The First Law of Thermodynamics (Conservation) states that energy is always conserved, it cannot be created or destroyed. In essence, energy can be converted from one form into another.

Friday, October 2, 2015

What is Perpetual Motion?


Perpetual motion is motion that continues forever without any external  source of energy. This is impossible to ever achieve because of friction and other “losses of energy.” (The law of conservation of energy states that energy cannot be created or destroyed.) A perpetual motion machine is a theoretical machine that can do work indefinitely without an energy source. This kind of machine is inaccessible, because it would defy the first and/or second law of thermodynamics.

Some failed examples: