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I have heard that magnets do not possess energy and can only help control it. Also, the first law of thermodynamics says that energy can neither be created nor be destroyed and hence making a perpetual motion machine is virtually impossible as we cannot elude friction.

But consider this example. If we take a permanent magnet and tie it to a stationary rod or support with a thread or clamp and then place some magnetic material like a piece of iron near it, the piece of iron will get attracted.

Since 'work done = force applied x distance moved', here there is a force applied and the piece of iron has moved quite a bit towards the magnet. And also, when work is done, there should be energy spent and hence shouldn't it be right to say that magnets possess energy? And if that is right, it would totally violate the 1st law of thermodynamics.

Sharath Prajith
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  • see my answer here https://physics.stackexchange.com/questions/251114/can-we-use-magnetic-energy-to-produce-electricity/251123#251123 and the links within it. another related question https://physics.stackexchange.com/questions/188208/why-doesnt-this-magnetic-perpetual-motion-machine-work/188220#188220 – anna v Mar 15 '22 at 07:05
  • @annav thanks a lot. Your answer was quite helpful. – Sharath Prajith Mar 15 '22 at 07:33

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No, you can't generate energy from nothing (the only way is via the Heisenberg uncertainty principle but you have to "return it to the space-time"). That energy that you are taking is from the magnetic field of the magnet. You can read more about this subject in Jackson, John David (1998), Classical Electrodynamics.

Dani
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