"energy is neither created nor destroyed"
The short version
Free energy is possible only when the phrase means a real, identified energy flow such as sunlight, wind, environmental heat, or chemical potential being released. It is not supported when the phrase means a closed device creating usable energy from nothing.
Patents, videos, and demonstrations can be interesting, but they are not final evidence. The final evidence is a complete, independently replicated input-output test with uncertainty smaller than the claimed surplus.
Where to start
If you are new to the topic, read What "Free Energy" Means, then The Physics Boundary, then How to Test an Over-Unity Energy Claim. Those three pages prevent most category errors.
If you arrived because of a specific claim, use the Claim Index to map that claim to the evidence that would matter.
FAQ
Is free energy possible?
It depends on the meaning. Renewable flows and thermodynamic free energy are real. A closed over-unity machine that creates net energy is not supported by established physics or credible replicated tests.
Can magnets make free electricity?
Magnets are essential in many generators, but the energy comes from the mechanical work spinning the generator or another counted source.
Can water power a car?
Water can be split into hydrogen and oxygen using energy input. The hydrogen can then store energy, but ordinary water is not itself a net energy source.
Does a patent prove a free-energy device works?
No. A patent can document a claim and legal disclosure. It is not independent proof of net energy performance.
Is zero-point energy real?
Quantum vacuum effects are real. That does not prove a practical generator can extract net usable energy from them.
What evidence would change the conversation?
Independent replication with a complete boundary, calibrated instruments, raw data, uncertainty analysis, and a result far larger than measurement error.
Cite this page
Free Energy Research. "Free Energy FAQ." Updated 2026-07-06. Accessed from https://freeenergyresearch.org/faq.
https://freeenergyresearch.org/faqPrimary sources
- First Law of Thermodynamics NASA Glenn Research Center
Plain-language statement of energy conservation and energy accounting for thermodynamic systems.
- Second Law of Thermodynamics NASA Glenn Research Center
Explains entropy and why real processes impose direction and losses.
- Simple Guide for Evaluating and Expressing the Uncertainty of NIST Measurement Results National Institute of Standards and Technology
NIST Technical Note 1900, a practical guide for uncertainty budgets and reported measurement confidence.
- Hydrogen Fuel Basics U.S. Department of Energy
DOE explanation of hydrogen as an energy carrier and fuel-cell input.
- Magnets and Electricity U.S. Energy Information Administration
Explains electromagnetic induction in generators: magnets enable conversion, not source-free energy creation.
- Utility Guidelines Training Materials United States Patent and Trademark Office
USPTO guidance on the specific, substantial, and credible utility requirement.