Skip to main content

Why don't perpetual motion machines ever work? - Netta Schramm

16,588,619 Views

19,203 Questions Answered

TEDEd Animation

Let’s Begin…

Perpetual motion machines — devices that can do work indefinitely without any external energy source — have captured many inventors’ imaginations because they could totally transform our relationship with energy. There’s just one problem: they don’t work. Why not? Netta Schramm describes the pitfalls of perpetual motion machines.

WatchThink Dig Deeper Discuss
Three out of the four people below seriously pursued (at least for a time) the search for a working perpetual motion machine. Who's the odd man out?

About TED-Ed Animations

TED-Ed Animations feature the words and ideas of educators brought to life by professional animators. Are you an educator or animator interested in creating a TED-Ed Animation? Nominate yourself here »

Meet The Creators

  • Educator Netta Schramm
  • Director Jeremiah Dickey
  • Script Editor Eleanor Nelsen
  • Sound Designer Stephen LaRosa
  • Associate Producer Jessica Ruby
  • Content Producer Gerta Xhelo
  • Editorial Producer Alex Rosenthal
  • Narrator Addison Anderson

More from Before and After Einstein