Science people: debunk this (OP image fixed)

[Narkro555]

A few minutes ago, a friend showed me this:



The first thing I think of when I see a troll physics comic is why it won't work. But this time I can't. Neither of us can (in fact he's trying it). There must be a sciencey way to debunk this. I know it won't work, but the only thing I can think of that might hinder it is the water barrier. But that doesn't really count, since it's not part of the actual idea behind this.

Smart people gogogo

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[RedGajin]

It doesn't seem like it would work very well at all, the balls would float up at incredibly slow speeds. And I guess it would work in theory, I mean, you can have a wind turbine or a water turbine (name?) and its the same thing. You would get incredibly small amounts of electricity though.

[Narkro555]

Small amounts, sure. But what causes it to stop working? What runs out?

[Squideey]

Intuition is telling me that friction would quickly slow that contraption down until it stopped completely. Unfortunately the last time I took a physics class was five years ago.

[xxxxkill]

The water would drain out eventually.

And then there's friction.

[Racerboy]

Uhh is it just me or is the picture not showing...idk what the hell you're taking about, can't help.

Edit: Is it a Perpetual Motion Machine theory? That's what it sounds like...except you can't use an external source of energy, like Red Gajin mentioned wind and water flow.

[Darkness ZXW]

All those air-balls not in use would just float up and break the chain. It would need more power than it generates.

[Squideey]

I can disprove it using conventional logic.

If this machine was fully capable of producing free energy without stopping, we would already be using this thing across the planet. Clearly we aren't.

[BlackMod]

would lose some water every once and a while...

[xxxxkill]

Actually, I'm wondering why you don't just have a generator, which powers itself using a turbine which in TURN powers itself, while producing more electricity
Seriously, somebody de-bunk this

[dkamm65]

The ring would just sit there. The force of the balls rising in the water wouldn't be enough to pull the balls on the left down.

Not to mention the force wasted on potential water "drag" on the tops of the balls, the friction of the wheels, and the friction of the balls on the seal.

[Bloody Mary]

You can't get something for nothing. Perpetual motion is impossible.

[RedGajin]

Actually, I'm wondering why you don't just have a generator, which powers itself using a turbine which in TURN powers itself, while producing more electricity
Seriously, somebody de-bunk this

How does the turbine that powers the generator turn?

[Headcrab Zombie]

You can't get something for nothing. Perpetual motion is impossible.

Of course, OP knows that.
The idea behind this thread is why it's impossible

Actually, I'm wondering why you don't just have a generator, which powers itself using a turbine which in TURN powers itself, while producing more electricity
Seriously, somebody de-bunk this

Because friction and resistance of wire carrying current from generator to motor

[Chrono]

I'm pretty sure the weight of the containers of the "air bubbles" (all of them) along with the friction of the generators would stop it from moving.

Actually, I'm wondering why you don't just have a generator, which powers itself using a turbine which in TURN powers itself, while producing more electricity
Seriously, somebody de-bunk this

People have been discussing this. A simple google search proved it.