2007-12-21 19:46:03 · 6 answers · asked by DAVO 3 in Science & Mathematics ➔ Physics
A spin... the magnetic field of an elementary particle with non-zero spin will never decay. It's like a little ring current flowing in a magnetic loop.
The next thing would probably be planetary orbits. They last a VERY long time! Certainly hundreds of billions of years.
The other person mentioned superconductors. I would agree that they are the closest macroscopic implementation of something that never loses the energy stored in it. They do decay, though, albeit quite slowly if held at the proper temperature and treated nicely.
After after that it is probably superfluid 3He.
2007-12-21 22:13:04 · answer #1 · answered by Anonymous · 1⤊ 1⤋
Recent discoveries in semiconductors and very cold metal alloys can put electrons on the move in a loop of metal and there is so little resistance the current started - say with a magnet, will run for a very long time.
2007-12-21 20:08:43 · answer #2 · answered by Mike1942f 7 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Unfortunately, there is no perpetual motion and hence no closest thing.
It's like asking, what is the closest number to infinity. Well, both 5 and 2309847502983475098273409587209348740984957620982734 are infinity away from infinity, so there is no closest.
2007-12-21 22:27:17 · answer #3 · answered by Luke 2 · 0⤊ 2⤋
A Queen Bee and her hive.
2007-12-21 20:23:49 · answer #4 · answered by Margastar 6 · 0⤊ 1⤋
Electric motors. They are very efficient at converting electricity to kinetic.
2007-12-21 19:55:40 · answer #5 · answered by Tom P 6 · 0⤊ 3⤋
no such thing...it will violate the third law of thermodynamics which is the law of entropy....
2007-12-21 21:07:34 · answer #6 · answered by jamesyoy02 6 · 0⤊ 2⤋