No Conservation of Energy: Difference between revisions

The Law of Conservation of Mass is similarly ignored, particularly when involving powers that create something from apparently nothing or where shapeshifting is involved.

It is generally more acceptable in [[Fantasy]] settings, especially with [[Art Major Physics]], although more thorough authors will try to explain where the power for magic comes from. Some author try to maintain conservation by invoking a law of [[Equivalent Exchange]], with varying degrees of success depending on how well it's thought out.

* ''[[Dragonball Z]]'': These people can destroy PLANETS. They can casually shoot beams from their hands that level mountains. Aside from a somewhat [[Big Eater|large appetite]], this is never explained.

* In ''[[Gurren Lagann]]'', it's a key plot point that Spiral Power does not conserve matter or energy.

** In the manga and second anime, this becomes 'geothermals' and 'tectonic activity' (it hadn't yet been explained in the manga when the first anime was made). For a bit it looked like Father was going to have done something really devilish when he gave proto-Amestris the energy-capture equations, but it looks like it really was tectonics and Mei was just sensing Father.

* In ''[[Zettai Karen Children]]'', the [[Psychic Powers]] are explicitly stated to violate the conservation of energy and not bound by normal physics therefore allow the protagonists to [[Screw Destiny]].

** His mere [[Battle Aura]] is hot enough to ''melt rock into lava'' and form a [[Sphere of Power]] of blinding white light around him.

** He can release heat beams several dozen meters wide strong enough to ''vaporize'' entire ''rows'' of mountains. ''Vaporize''. And do this with zero preparation (except to [[Calling Your Attacks|strike a pose and call out the attack]].) And then do it AGAIN immediately afterwards, pausing only to realize the first blast didn't take, with ''no'' recovery time.

* In ''[[Puella Magi Madoka Magica]]'', the [[Weasel Mascot]] specifically mentions that magic defies the laws of thermodynamics. {{spoiler|This is very important to him, as he's harvesting the magic power generated by the Magical Girls to stave off the heat death of the universe.}}

* This is so standard for super powers it almost goes unnoticed. Nearly every [[Superhero]] and [[Super Villain]] with powers produces far more energy than their body contains. Occasionally you'll see a [[Hand Wave]] like Cyclops' or [[Superman]]'s "powered by sunlight" or Havok of the [[X-Men (Comic Book)|X-Men]]'s "powered by cosmic rays", although if you do the math on their demonstrated energy usage, it doesn't really add up. It also means that with so much potential energy stored in their bodies, every time they get their powers [[Power Nullifier|neutralized]], they should explode like atomic bombs.

** In ''[[Ultimate Fantastic Four]]'', Ellis ''tries'' to avoid this; he still has Reed "eating" air. Invisible Woman's explanation consists of a [[Lampshade Hanging]], and Ben's power goes unmentioned. The Human Torch's bio-fusion is highly implausible but at least gives a [[Hollywood Science]] [[Hand Wave]] to his energy source. Every other book in [[Ultimate Marvel]], well, decidedly less so.

** Some fans have theorized that Superman's gut is actually a thermonuclear reactor, or even a matter-to-energy converter, that squeezes every last megaton of available energy out of the food he eats. (This would explain why he [[Nobody Poops|never goes to the bathroom]]...)

* Several mass-changing characters actually need to absorb mass from outside themselves; Stronghold of [[Valiant Comics]], a [[Static Shock]] villain, etc. Most just "get heavier".

* Of the [[Justice League of America|Justice League's]] "Big Seven", only [[Superman]] and [[Martian Manhunter]] still run afoul of this trope. [[Wonder Woman]], [[The Flash]], and [[Green Lantern]] are all explicitly powered by Phlebotinum or magic. [[Aquaman (Comic Book)|Aquaman]] is pushing it with his ability to swim at 100 miles per hour.

* Averted in ''[[Rising Stars]]''. {{spoiler|The Specials have a finite energy source, which means that as they use their powers, they gradually get weaker as this energy is used up. Furthermore, when a Special dies, his/her energy doesn't disappear, but is instead transferred to the surviving Specials, making their powers stronger. The relevant laws of physics are mentioned by name and used to explain this.}}

== Fan Works ==

** Jeft implies that magic and energy are related when he mentions that to keep Paul's strength from overwhelming him, much of it is transformed into raw magic and returned to the Field before it leaves his skin.

* In the remake of ''[[The Day the Earth Stood Still]]'', the heat energy from the spacecraft rapidly decelerating should have turned the UN and the surrounding landscape to molten slag.

* Between the mothership, the ship reactors, and...well, everything... [[Bellisario's Maxim|don't think about]] where all the energy comes from or goes in ''[[Independence Day]]''.

** This is a direct parody of the Dilithium Crystal that somehow makes warp drive possible in ''[[Star Trek]]''. It is there to "mediate" the matter-[[Antimatter]] reaction and create a pair of tuned plasma streamers. This is only explained that way in official material ''outside'' of the show, which makes this [[All There in the Manual]].

* In ''[[Honey I Shrunk the Kids]],'' the principle behind the shrink ray is explained thus: atoms and molecules are made up largely of empty space between the subatomic particles.<ref>This is true; the distance from the nucleus of an atom to its electron cloud is on par with the distance from the Sun to Pluto, relative to its size</ref> The ray shrinks an object by reducing this empty space. However, this should mean that a shrunk object retains its mass. Ergo, the shrunk children should be just as heavy and ''just as strong'' as they were at full-size. There should be no plot, because there's no way they could get swept up in the garbage by accident, and they should have the strength to jump up and activate the machine themselves - assuming their incredible density didn't make them fall straight through the floor.

*** Since the wizarding community doesn't believe anybody can reach the moon (not only did they not do it first, they think space travel is impossible), and they've got spells to handle the environmental problems, there probably ''is'' a limiting factor. Or some ambient planetary field all magic is powered off of.

** Also played straight with Freezing Charms.

** Also, it's stated that energy must be '''absorbed''' when negative work is done (for instance, teleporting an object from orbit down to ground level), although simply being the conduit for such large amounts of energy can still place enormous stress on physical systems.

** Also averted in ''[[The Ship Who]] Won''. A brainship finds a world where magic actually works, complete with all the standard [[No Conservation of Energy]] tropes. Then they discover that {{spoiler|there's actually a huge generator complex powering all this, which the magicians have completely wrecked by using it for stupid things like fireballs and levitation}}.

* [[Isaac Asimov]]'s ''[[wikipedia:The Gods Themselves|The Gods Themselves]]''. The trope is subverted because the law of conservation of energy is upheld when a device which appears to obtain energy out of nothing actually gains it by taking advantage in the differences in physical laws between two universes (at the loss of 20 electrons in our universe and the gain of 20 electrons in the other universe, as well as positron radiation).

** And the obvious thermodynamic implications apply -- {{spoiler|the energy transfer between the two universes is bringing their physical laws into equilibrium, which will eventually destroy all life in both of them. The aliens are aware of this and want to exploit it only until our sun explodes so they have free energy for generations.}}

* [[Hand Wave|Hand waved]] in David Eddings's '[[The Belgariad]]' series. Belgarath explains that nothing can truly be destroyed (it just changes energy forms), and trying to 'unmake' something will end up with some [[Your Head Asplode|unfortunate consequences]].

** Also played totally straight in that they seem to be able to create whatever they want, with no requirement to take energy/mass from anywhere for it.

** In the books, it is explained that creating things works off your own creative energies, which is why it's much more exhausting to make a door than to blow it to pieces. Also, the inability to destroy things doesn't come from the conservation of energy, but from the universe itself - which is, apparently, alive and says "No you don't!" to attempts at unmaking, something it doesn't even allow the gods to do. Long story short: It's magic, it plain doesn't ''work'' by the laws of physics (and the books certainly don't try to pretend that it does).

*** On the other hand, it does. Turning a stone around takes less effort and energy if you simply get it rolling by pushing at the top than it does if you lift it up, turn it around and then drop it upside down, which leaves you both incredibly tired and ''pushed down into the ground by the opposite reaction of it's weight'' if you don't brace yourself. Moving air gradually takes less energy than moving it all into a storm-strong wind in an instant and even then it's taxing enough to leave the very experienced person who does it passed out from exhaustion. Creating something new usually involves taking something that's similar in some way (like the type of matter or the right shape) and changing that (and still takes a great deal of effort) and unless you've got about several thousand years of practice or a handy near inexhaustible supply of power in the form of an orb most things are very taxing. Though the Malloreon tends more towards this trope.

** What merits complaining about there is stuff like 'How are portals into Z-space opened,' 'Where does ''that'' energy come from,' etc.

* [[Terry Pratchett]]'s ''[[Discworld]]'' novels try to at least give this a nod. Teleportation's pretty risky too, especially with the knowledge that even if you're sitting on a chair you're still really moving somehow.

'''Ridcully:''' Say again.<br />

'''Ponder:''' I mean he'll end up arriving '''as''' a circle. Fifty feet wide. }}

** ''[[Discworld]]'' magic also obeys the conservation of momentum (except for [[Flying Broomstick|flying broomsticks]]). If a wizard wants to hurl himself from the ground to the top of a tower, he has to cause a stone with an identical weight to his to fall from the top of the tower and magically link his ascent to the stone's descent.

*** Magic carpets are also exempt, although this may be because they use magic in a different way (in 'Weird Sisters' Magrat's broomstick is shown to lose its capacity to fly if it loses too much magic, and in Equal Rites, Granny's broomstick doesn't work in sunlight, although this is later solved).

** Telekinesis also gets a brief mention when it is pointed out that when you try and lever an object using your own mind as a fulcrum, the most likely outcome is that your brain gets forced out of your ears. Much training in the psychic equivalent of a gym is required.

* ''[[Wild Cards]]'' shapeshifters often have a [[Hand Wave]] of "virtual particles", basically acting in ways that in no way resemble the virtual particles of real-world physics.

* [[Alastair Reynolds]] ''Revelation Space'' novels feature two examples - the Conjoiner engines, space drives with a more-or-less unlimited energy source used by lighthuggers to get around, and Cryo-Arithmetic computers used to siphon heat out of the universe. The former is subverted in ''Redemption Ark'' when it is revealed that {{spoiler|The engines are powered by a miniature wormhole that opens into the Big Bang, as, even though trying FTL travel is a [[Cosmic Horror]] in its own right, ''time travel'' is just practical enough to work.}}

* Averted in regards to conservation of mass in the ''[[Deverry]]'' novels. The mazrakir (shapeshifters) all change into an animal form the same size as their normal form. Nevyn pokes fun at the old 'sorcerers turning people into frogs' story by pointing out the stories never mention that the frogs would have to be big enough to ride.

* Averted in Eric Nylund's ''A Signal Shattered'' where an alien merchant sells the people of Earth a teleportation device which works by borrowing a negligible amount of the Earth's rotation. Needless to say, widespread use of this "free" technology results in Earth's destruction. {{spoiler|Which was all part of the alien's plan, of course.}}

* In ''[[The Dresden Files]]'', magic "still has to do business with physics" so that energy can't come from nowwhere. Generally energy is drawn from latent magical energy in the world, which is produced by life and emotions, though there are plenty of other sources, such as large leylines of raw energy (which should not be messed with unless one is a skilled wizard) [[Hellfire]] (from downbelow) [[White Magic|Soulfire]] (drawn from one's [[Our Souls Are Different|soul]]) or even from existing energy, like latent heat. The latter has been used multiple times by Harry Dresden to freeze things by ripping latent heat from his surroundings, like pulling the heat from a lake's water to freeze it, or pulling the heat from around a vampire to freeze it (and then throw that heat at another vampire to burn it to ashes).

* The titular character of ''[[The Chronicles of Professor Jack Baling]]'' wonders about this one, both as it applies to the perpetual motion machine created by his student and his own disintegrator ray. Using the latter in quick succession does end up blowing a fuse, but the amount of energy involved in powering the thing in the first place is staggering. He shouldn’t be able to get that much juice at once in the first place.

** And there are the various shape shifting aliens that can go from something the size of a mouse, to a human and back. While this could be explained as simply increasing density rather than reducing mass, Dr. Bashir even notes Odo's ability to change mass in one episode of ''[[Deep Space Nine]]'' (without even giving a theory as to how). Odo at one point had to ''reinforce his floor'' because some of his forms were too heavy for it to support.

*** [[Hand Wave|Hand waved]] at one point; Changelings like Odo are a kind of partial [[Energy Being]] whose form overlaps with normal space and subspace, allowing them to draw their mass into or out of normal space. They can also become FIRE and other energy forms with practice.

* Zatguns on ''[[Stargate SG-1]]'' had similar issues to ''[[Star Trek]]'' phasers, until writers decided that was stupid and [[Retcon|stopped using that feature]].

** Another prime offender in Stargate is Naquadah and it's various sub-forms which can somehow turn a normal nuclear bomb into a continent buster among other insanity. [[Fanon|Calculations by fans]] indicate it must have an energy density greater then antimatter, which is not physically possible.

== Video Games ==

** Made worse when you consider that his basic lightening attack can be used so that it actually "generates" electricity! Though you do actually have to hit something that would give electricity if drained, so it may just be transferring that to you. It still begs the question of why Cole can't just use the energy to recharge his power meter.

** This is actually a plot point: {{spoiler|the Ray Sphere gathers all of the electrical energy from the people in the destroyed city blocks to concentrate it on Cole, and presumably that wouldn't have worked with standard electricity sources}}.

** It gets even worse with the above example. Two logistics ships can transfer 324 GJ of energy every few seconds to each other while only using 108 GJ each to do it. This results in each ship gaining 216 GJ of energy every 5 seconds that literally comes from nowhere.

*** Another example would be the "Thermodynamics" skill description: "Also gives you the ability to frown in annoyance whenever you hear someone mention a perpetual motion unit."

* Averted in [[Dragon Age]], mages are lucid dreamers with the ability to draw some element of the Fade into the real world to make it respond to their will. And in most cases they still have to use [[Green Rocks|lyrium]] as a power source.

* In ''[[Dwarf Fortress]]'' smelting, forging metal items, and other things that require great heat can get the heat from magma rather than by burning fuel. But since in the game magma remains at the same fixed temperature regardless of how much heat has been extracted from it, a small bit of magma isolated from the planet's core can supply an endless amount of heat energy.

** Creatures with a fixed body heat (like magma men and fire men) are endless wells or sinks of heat coming from and going to nowhere.

** Wooden items, if set on fire, will keep on burning until they are completely incinerated. [[Made of Indestructium|Artifacts cannot be destroyed]]. The logical conclusion is to create eternally flaming artifact wooden weapons or coal statues.

== Web Comics ==

* How can anybody ignore [[Order of the Stick]], the comic the quote above comes from? Definitely ignorable, as magic is a big part of the comic, but it is still [[Lampshaded]], as are other laws of physics.

* ''[[The Inexplicable Adventures of Bob]]'' acknowledges this, even if it is handled in a very toony fashion. Snookums started as a giant [[Kaiju]] and got compressed to the size of a basketball; he's shown to still be enormously heavy, but still not nearly as heavy as his original size would indicate.

** Made doubly hilarious by the fact that the writing team have a few physics degrees among them.

* In ''[[Justice League]]'' Batman invokes the law of conservation of energy (well, he exchanges 'energy' with 'mass', but otherwise...) as an indication that {{spoiler|a [[Disintegrator Ray]] believed to have vaporized Superman}} didn't work the way its creator intended -- there were no scorch marks, leftover atoms or increased ambient energy on the site, which it should have been had it worked as intended.

** An attempted aversion, anyway, since the [[Dumb Muscle]] would have to convert his ''own'' mass into energy to hit with that kind of force. Otherwise he's literally punching energy out of nothing, which is, admittedly, pretty badass.

*** Not to mention the amount of energy that is. In order to regrow a gram of mass, he'd have to punch with an amount of energy comparable to a nuclear bomb. If he was punching anything that wasn't hyper-efficiently absorbing it, the energy would most likely be released with pretty much the same effect.