Question Do magnets affect perpetual motion in space?
(in space) if a metal magnet ring surrounds a rod of metal that you set spinning, will the magnetism eventually slow down the spinning rod, or will it just center the rod inside of the ring and allow it to spin as long as it is undisturbed?

Best Answer Depends on a couple things. The direction the rod is pointed and the direction it is spinning. If the axis of rotation of the rod, the axis of rotational symmetry of the cylindrical shape of the rod, and the magnetic moment of the metal were all pointed in the same way, no current would be induced in the metal rod and it would not slow down. But it would not automatically center itself. If the magnetic moment wobbles, or the metal moves in any way which is not along its axis of rotational symmetry, it will not be a maintainable situation. If there are any currents induced or if the magnet itself is producing a time-varying field seen by someone nearby who is not rotating with it, it will slow down.

Question I need some blueprints/pictures of some perpetual motion machines that are powered by strong magnets. Help?
I am doing a science fair project on perpetual motion and free energy. The problem is, I am unable to uncover any pictures that are helpful. They must be of a perpetual motion machine that is powered by magnets, but it can't be powered by electromagnets. If you can find some please just post the link below.

Best Answer A lot of people seem to use the latin term "perpetuum mobile", so you might find that a useful search term as well. When I used that search term I found this very nice historic web page. http://www.hp-gramatke.net/perpetuum/index.htm Look around there, I assure you magnets are mentioned. Lots of diagrams too.

Question Perpetual motion with earth magnets. Science Fair. Need examples DONT NEED STUPID or "CAN NOT HAPPEN" comments
I am trying to research a more in depth way of discovering perpetual motion. The best I can figure out is magnets. Although they because useless overtime it is the beset in terms of efficency. Any ideas that might work? Like the nail and 1/2 watt bulb?

Best Answer You can't make anything with "real perpetual motion", but you can make devices that keep extracting power from their surroundings as long as the power source is available and they remain in working order. A science fair project explaining the difference might work. In principle, you can extract energy from the earth's rotation. It would seem as though you could do so with a pendulum or gyroscope You could have a Foucault pendulum with a piece from an old-fashioned grandfather clock that keeps the pendulum swinging despite friction, only driven by the apparent rotation of the pendulum. Or you could have a gyroscope that's kept turning by its own precession. Either way, what would make or break the project is the writing along with it. You would need to write about Foucault pendulums or precession of gyroscopes, but you would also need to write about conservation of angular momentum, and explain why it's a problem for the device in question, and what in the real world actually *does* extract energy from the earth's rotation.