Rotatingmagneticdevicewin'perpetualmotion'

contet
DeorahHaler,NewOffice
Ma19,1999

JuniorGauravTewariandophomoreJohnMceanwalkedawawith$250eachinprize
moneeterdaafternoonfromtheConcoureprogram'annualPerpetualMotioncontet.

Fortheecondtime,theConcoureprogramoffereda$500awardtotheetumiion
anMITundergraduateforaperpetualmotionmachinethatincorporateelectricalormagnetic
field.tudenthadtoumitawrittenpropoalwrittenclearlenoughtoeundertood
firt-earMITtudent.

Mr.Tewari,anelectricalengineeringandcomputerciencemajor,andMr.Mcean,a
mechanicalengineeringmajor,deignedamachinethatinvolveamagneticalllevitated,flat
rectangulararrotatinginavacuum-ealedglacontainer.

Apotontheottomoftheglachamerprotrudethroughaholeinthecenterofthear
andkeepitpoitionedcorrectl.Thearwilltaupendedandrotatinginahorizontal
planeecaueoftheinteractingforceoftwomagnetatitendandfourmagnetattached
tothewallofthechamer,allwiththeamepolefacinginide.Alo,amagnetattheaeof
theglachamerrepelthemagneticunderideoftherotatingarandhelpitlevitate.

Whilethetwoathattheirdeigndoenotreloncompleteeliminationoffriction(thenear-
impoileneceitforatrueperpetualmotionmachine),theelievetheirideaofettingan
ojectinmotioninanearlfriction-freeenvironmenthould"guaranteezerodiipationof
energ"andthereforeperpetualmotion.

Concoureiapecialunifiedprogramforfirt-eartudentthatcovertheentirecore
curriculum,offeringtheadvantageofamallchoolwithoutgivingupthecharacterand
reourceofMIT.

Thecontetumiionwerejudgedtudentandfacult,whoratedeachpropoal
accordingtotheirinailittorefuteit.

"Ueoflackhole,patialingu-laritieormagneticmonopoleareexprelforidden.The
motionmutetrulperpetualandmutnotrelon'natural'energourceuchawindor
tidalorplanetarmotion.Inotherword,ouareinvitedtoviolateacceptedfundamentallaw
inthemotconvincingwapoile,"theintructiontate.

RoertM.Roe,profeorofmaterialcienceandengineering,aidthatthecontetinotan
exercieinfutilit,utagreatteachingvehicle.tudentinapecialConcourecla,
ProleminlectricitandMagnetim,ometime"invented"perpetualmotionmachineor
eeminglunlimitedupplieofenerg.

nuingdicuionledtopiritedargument,analiand,accordingtoProfeorRoe,"a
muchdeeperundertandingoffrehmanphic...Thenitoccurredtouthatwehould
extendthichallengetotheMITcommunitatlarge.Theprolempreentedaremeantto
tretchthetudent'mindandgivethemaetterintuitivefeelforphic."

Averionofthi
articleappearedinthe
Ma19,1999

iueofMITTechTalk(Volume
43,Numer
31).

Topic: Innovationandntrepreneurhip(I&) Phic

Contetandacademiccompetition

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