We think that we can generate eternal power by using the repelling forces of magnets to keep a turbine spinning forever.

What are Magnets?

Magnets are any material capable of producing its own magnetic field. We will explain magnetic fields more clearly in the next slide.

In this experiment, we used neodymium magnets because they are very strong even in low quantity. Due to this property, this type of magnet has been favored by the medical field.

Magnetic Fields

• A magnetic field is a field produced by either:
  1. A magnet
  2. An electric current or
  3. A changing electric field
• Magnets of the same pole repel and magnets of different poles attract

• A magnetic field is a field around a magnet which can be observed
• Magnetic field lines always flow away from North poles and towards South poles

Some Ways to Generate Electricity?

Wind power 

Uses wind to spin the turbine

Hydroelectricity 

Uses flowing water to spin the turbine

Both methods use a spinning turbine to generate electricity.

For This Experiment

We will use the repelling forces of magnets to spin the fidget spinner, which is imitating a turbine. 

The reason we used a fidget spinner is because we learnt from research conducted by the State University of New York that a fidget spinner has special bearings to reduce friction when spun. 

First Law of Thermodynamics VS our Experiment

The first law of thermodynamics states that “Energy can neither be created nor destroyed, it can only be transformed from one form to another.” 

If our experiment had worked, it would have violated the first law of thermodynamics because we did not put energy into it. This also explains why the Unintended Observation actually worked better because we put more energy into it.

We later discovered for our research that our experiment is referred to as a perpetual machine where it has had a lot of controversial discussions but has  generally been classified as does not work.

Manipulated Variable: Orientation of magnets 

Responding Variable: Whether it will spin

Controlled Variable: Type of magnets used, strength of magnets, number of magnets used, type of fidget spinner, size of magnets

Control: Fidget spinner without magnets on arms

Procedure (Part 1) 

We are testing how a fidget spinner with 3 magnets on each of its arms will react when a magnet in a FLAT position is brought near it.

1. Set up the apparatus from picture attached
2. Place one magnet per arm of fidget spinner
3. Slowly move a magnet into range in a flat position 
4. Record results in table 1
5. Repeat steps 2-4 four more times
6. Repeat steps 3-5 with the control

Procedure (Part 2) 

We are testing how a fidget spinner with 3 magnets on each of its arms will react when a magnet in an UPRIGHT position is brought near it.

1. Set up the apparatus from picture attached
2. Place one magnet per arm of fidget spinner
3. Slowly move a magnet into range in an upright position 
4. Record results in table 2
5. Repeat steps 2-4 four more times
6. Repeat steps 2-5 with the control

Table 1 - Results for moving magnets toward the fidget spinner at a FLAT position

Table 2 - Results for moving magnets toward the fidget spinner at a UPRIGHT  position

• No significant differences observed in Part 1 and Part 2 of the experiment
• After spinning around a third of the way, the fidget spinner stopped moving
• In both Part 1 and Part 2 of the experiment the fidget spinner spun around the same speed

Unintended Observation

• When we repeatedly alternated moving the magnet closer and further from the fidget spinner, it actually spun more 
• This was not recorded in Table 1 and 2 because this was not the intended experiment

Initially, after the magnets were pushed away by the repelling forces of magnets, the fidget spinner quickly stopped moving because one magnet was pushing one way and the other was pushing the other way causing it to stabilize.

This is because a magnetic field is actually fan-shaped and pushes more than one direction. Therefore, this prevented it from making a full rotation. So our initial idea of using a magnet to spin a turbine forever won’t work, as we learnt from our experiment.

Analysis / Discussion for Unintended Observation

The reason that the fidget spinner spun longer is by moving the magnet closer and further from the fidget spinner, we generated kinetic energy by changing the magnetic fields. The kinetic energy generated was transferred to the fidget spinner, in the form of magnetic fields. This caused it to spin longer.

Our hypothesis was incorrect. The fidget spinner did not spin forever. This is because we did not take into account the first law of thermodynamics. We also did not consider that magnetic fields go in a fan shape. From our experiment, we learned that we cannot generate eternal power using magnets with our setup as of today.

Promising Future

The first law of thermodynamics has already been broken! 

It was broken during the nuclear fusion experiment on December 5, 2022 in The National Ignition Facility, located at Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory in Livermore, California, United States. 

During this experiment, the scientists generated excess energy for the first time.

How is This Important to our Experiment?

There are upsides and downsides to every way of generating energy. For example, ways like wind power, solar power and hydroelectricity all rely on the environment to work but they are environmentally friendly. Ways like oil and gas can work any time, but heavily impact our environment by generating greenhouse gases and causing global warming. 

Our way of generating electricity is environmentally friendly and works any time. The only obstacle we need to overcome is the first law of Thermodynamics. If we can learn from this nuclear fusion experiment, someday we could generate clean energy anytime and anywhere we wanted.

• We were holding the magnet with our hands
  1. Could have caused a change in strength to the magnet that we were holding
  2. Should have very little impact because humans have a weak magnetic field
  3. An improvement could be to use an unmagnetized object (e.g silicon tongs, rubber gloves)

1. https://ece.northeastern.edu/fac-ece/nian/mom/work.html
2. https://education.nationalgeographic.org/resource/magnetism/
3. https://www.britannica.com/science/magnetic-field
4. https://phys.libretexts.org/Bookshelves/University_Physics/Book%3A_Introductory_Physics_-_Building_Models_to_Describe_Our_World_(Martin_Neary_Rinaldo_and_Woodman)/21%3A_The_Magnetic_Force/21.01%3A_Magnetic_fields
5. https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC6323575/
6. https://dspace.sunyconnect.suny.edu/items/75f009da-13df-4837-a241-6540970c421f
7. https://medium.com/intuitive-physics/perpetual-motion-machines-why-they-dont-work-1e192d2c0f62
8. https://cen.acs.org/energy/nuclear-power/Energy-output-nuclear-fusion-reaction/100/i44 
9. https://kids.kiddle.co/Laws_of_thermodynamics
10. https://www.khanacademy.org/science/ap-biology/cellular-energetics/cellular-energy/a/the-laws-of-thermodynamics
11. https://www.grc.nasa.gov/www/k-12/airplane/thermo1.html
12. https://www.khanacademy.org/science/in-in-class11th-physics/in-in-11th-physics-thermodynamics/in-in-laws-of-thermodynamics/a/what-is-the-first-law-of-thermodynamics

We would like to acknowledge the following people:

1. Our teachers (Ms. Thomas and Ms. Strobach)

2. Our parents

3. Our in-school judges 

Thank you all for your help and suportt.