Posted by ovyyus (203.26.14.3) on May 20, 2003 at 20:38:51:
In Reply to: Man oh man, I REALLY think I've got it!!! posted by Joel L. Lewis on May 20, 2003 at 20:09:43:
Hi Joel,
You wrote:
"...Here goes: Imagine a pulley with a line hung over it. There's a weight on the line on the right, and on the other side is an equal weight, but much lower. What's going to happen? The lower weight i going to go DOWN, the higher weight will go UP, and the point halfway between them will remain halfway between them as they move away from it. Correct?..."
If a pulley has an equal weight hanging on both sides then no matter what the relative height of each weight, the force will be equal and the weights will not move up or down (assuming weight of line is not a factor).
Regards, ovyyus
: Okay, I know I've posted a couple ideas that have turned out to based on incomplete knowledge, but I'm so sure of this one that I couldn't wait till tomorrow to post it, so I'm on a friend's computer!:-D
: Here goes: Imagine a pulley with a line hung over it. There's a weight on the line on the right, and on the other side is an equal weight, but much lower. What's going to happen? The lower weight i going to go DOWN, the higher weight will go UP, and the point halfway between them will remain halfway between them as they move away from it. Correct?
: Okay, NOW, let's say that point halfway between them is, oh, the axis of a wheel. Let's say the weights dissengage the pulley and engage the wheel. What's going to happen? That's right, the higher weight will now be going DOWN, and the lower weight will now be going UP, with both points moving TOWARD the the axis at the mid-point-thus RESETTING their previous movements and effectively CLOSING THE LOOP! Now, unless I'm making a VERY fundamental mistake, this WILL work, and leave energy to spare.
:
: So...any objections, or is this one a winner...?