The Roanoke times. [volume] (Roanoke, Va.) 1890-1895, 1891-07-01
AN IMPOSSIBLE TASK.
The Reason Why Perpetual Motion II
Utterly Imprncticablc.

~'~~~~O-- -.
Utterly Impracticablc.
What is perpetual motion? AS
yet it is but'an idea-so much will be
admitted by the most enthusiastic adj
vocate OF its practicability, says the Mo
chanical News. The utmost claim Is
that, according physical law, it might
be; no one claims that it is or ever has
been But millions of attempts, all
ending in failure, only create strong
presumption that the thing attempted
is an impossibility. They do not put it
absolutely beyond donbt. Do the laws
of nature make it eternally impossi-
bic?
The evident answer is that nature is
herself perpetual motion. The clouds
and the winds, the waves, the flowing
streams and mighty currents of electric
al and other forces arc in ceaseless
fiux and refuX. 1t follows. therefore,
that any machine constantly played up
on by any one of these perpetual
forces would maintain a perpetual mo-
tomas for instance n paddle wheel
moved by an unfailing stream of water
the motion continuing until tho ma
terials wore out, which fills the con-
ditions of the problem. This much,
then, is conceded: A machine which
could receive continual accessions of
power from sources outside Of itself
that is, from the ineXhaustible store of
natures dynamics-would be perpet-
ual motion.
But that is not what the projectors
mean by their use of the phrase per
petual motion" Their argument (if
such it may be called) assumes the pos
sibility of machine which itself gen.
crates the power that runs it. In other
words, machine that creates power
that is, machine that generates moro
power than it Xpends-namely: power
enough to resupply the original power
and overcome friction besides. And
such a machine is, by the eternal law
of physics. an eternal impossibility.
No matter how simple or how complex,
no matter how dclicatcly adjusted or
how slight the friction, this incxorable
law remains-the force ichoriginally
moves the machine must generate
another force equal to itself (for any
force less than that would not keep
the machine in motion) and some ad-
ditional force to overcome the friction.
And the law is the same, no matter
what device be adopted. Suppose it be
las in many attempts it has becn)
series of falling weights on one side
of wheel, those weights must rise ex-
actly as high on the other side of the
wheel, and, let the com bination be what
it may, they must pass through as many
rising curves as falling curves-that is,
as many units of movement against as
with gravitation-and the friction Of
the wheel be overcome besides. Sup
pose it were possible to reduce friction
to minimum of one unit in n machine
whose power was ten million units,
then the power of ton million would
have to generate ten million and one to
prevent a stoppage.
For further illustration, take the de-
vice Of horizontal wheel, the original
power applied at point A on its cir
conference: A moves around to its
original place, there an equal power
must be applied to send it around again
(for, of course, whatever power sent it
around once will be needed for each
successive round), and whatever extra
power is needed to overcome the fric-
ton. Put tho original power at one
hundred, then that one hundred power
iiiuSo bSACAdIC al pow u equal 10 one
hundred plus friction. Alphabetically
stated, your problem is omake 1OO-10O
plus f. Of course might be reduced to
very small amount, and it is barely
conceivable that place might be found
where there is no f-but not on this
earth.
In 4 perfect vacuum, assuming the
production of it to be possible, a top
would run a surprisingly long time,
there being no friction on the air; but it
must rest on something, and that means
friction If top could be suspended in
mid air, with some attractive force
above it which exactly balanced CRAWL
tation, and then set in motion in per-
feet vacuum, the thing might be ac-
complished; but such condition is OBJ
viously impossible. On this earth there
is no motion without friction, and where
Is friction a perpetual motion is an
eternal impossibility.