Perpetual Motion Machines

Throughout the ages, people have tried to invent a machine that would keep moving forever without any help. With apparent disregard to the failure of all their predecessors, inventors and scientists are still coming up with new designs for such machines. Using an encyclopedia or the Internet, research Perpetual Motion. Briefly describe at least three designs for perpetual motion machines and answer the following questions.

1. Do any of the designs actually work?
2. Are there any people or organizations that are currently using the Internet or magazines to promote the idea of perpetual motion – or who are trying to get people to invest in their associated ventures?
3. Is Perpetual Motion possible? Why or why not?

OPTION: DESIGN AND BUILD A MODEL OF A CLASSIC PERPETUAL MOTION MACHINE

Even Leonardo Davinci had drawings of a perpetual motion machine. Some people claim that his drawings were used to explain why a machine of this type could not work. Many museums have models of clssical perpetual motions machines that are used to show that they don’t work. Presumably these are to show would-be inventors that their ideas have been tried before.

Select a classical perpetual motion machine and build a model that can be used to illustrate the idea(s) behind the original design.