Science a GoGo's Home Page Forums General Discussion Physics Forum Energy

I pretty much agree with what you are saying Bill except at some point when the laws of physics come into being I suspect the opposing forces have to be in effect.

The magnet example gives you a clear indication and actually you can try googling but I doubt you will feel comfortable with the answer.

So we take 2 bar magnets confine them in a plastic "c" section channel perfectly flat note they have 0 kinetic energy and some potential energy relative to there hieight from centre of earth it doesnt matter. Now we slowly move them closer micron by micron at some point they attract and fly together. You hear the click of noise and they moved so there is energy transfer. After the join they still have zero kinetic and the same potential energy. The classic school answer is there is no energy in a magnetic process but you can see that isn't strictly true we lie to the students. So now the question where does the energy come from? I will leave you to ponder that one and perhaps do some reading.

There is actually another place you see it but its dubious many will have seen it which is the effect on the plates when you charge up a capacitor in electricity. And finally the more bizarre one of why do some substances undergo radiactive decay.

They are all very very subtle effects and in effect we usually lie away the answer to make science easier to study :-)