offmason

I know that there is no such thing as a perpetual motion device. I'm simply floating around some thoughts - albeit dumb thoughts. As the ball rolls down the track, it pulls the cord behind it. Once it leaves the track, the ball makes a dead-drop. I was thinking this dead-drop would provide enough force or energy in the retracting contraption to return the ball to the surface. This way you have some energy being generated by the ball rolling down the track, and then you have the additional energy of the ball in free-fall pulling the cord. UC, I see that you are from New Jersey. As am I! I work out of a law firm in Freehold.

So what about the dead-drop? Does the dead-drop not have any influence on this?

Right, but what's the harm in trying to achieve something close to the ideal? Doesn't this all go to the efficiency of producing energy? SORRY TYPO.

Was this a piss poor attempt though?

So is your issue that it will NEVER make it back to the top or that it will only make it to the top a few times? Does the dead drop at the end of the track not make a difference? Doesn't this have something to do with increased velocity at free fall and the associated energy?

I surmised that the force of gravity would at least counteract or minimize the force of friction depending on the type of material used for the ball or track? The whole point would be to generate sufficient energy with the pulling of the cord. So long as the ball is moving, I would think that energy is being generated. The main issue would be returning the ball to the track, to repeat the process.

Why not? Does it depend on the weight? How does a automatically retracting measuring tape?

Right, but we can still imagine! My conception: This is probably unworkable in some material respect: Picture this on paper. Keep the non-electronic/powered cord retractor connected to one end of a cord in the top-left, the other end of the cord connected to a relatively heavy ball. Put the ball on the top of a track that angles down at 45 degrees. Let the ball go. Ball travels from top left to center right. Then another track from center right to bottom left. (Picture a ZIG-ZAG) At bottom left, the track ends and the ball makes a dead drop - initiating the automatic retractor. When it retracts vertically, the ball should (ideally) return to the track, and then gravity takes over again. I apologize if I am completely insane for this conception.

Not sure if that is a solid question, considering that there really isn't a good way to create a perpetual motion machine, as it is essentially impossible. I am interested in finding out how those automatic cord retractors work.

After a boring day of law school classes, I began pondering the ever illusive (and most definitely impossible) perpetual motion machine. Don't ask why, perhaps I was bored. As I am not trained in any form engineering or physics, I have tried brainstorming some possibilities with the only brain I have - one of lackluster quality. In conjuring up one particular idea, I acknowledged that I need a little more information pertaining to automatically retractable cords or wires that recoil upon pressure or certain extension and release. For instance, I have seen a computer mouse with a cord that retracts automatically when it is extended to a certain length. I thought this would be an interesting topic to explore. Let me know if I am barking up the wrong tree. If anyone has any know-how on this particular topic, let me pick your brain!