Physical Transformation AtlasPTA
Carrier · carrier:mechanical-motion

Mechanical motion

Bulk motion of a solid part — a rotor, a cantilever, a piston.

energy form mechanicalalso: shaft rotation, oscillating mass, moving plate

Atlas record: 13 claims reference this carrier — 9 established, 3 demonstrated and 1 replicated.

Explorerelations · routes · sources · cite

13claims235enumerated routes24routes with complete-composition evidence63candidate routes not searched13cited sources

Relations

drives · 2
Mechanical motion—drives→Electromagnetic inductionestablished
  • a magnet moving relative to a coil
Mechanical motion—drives→Rotating-machine generator actionestablished
  • a shaft turning a rotor inside a stator, or a magnet moved past a coil
produces · 10
Resonant vibration—produces→Mechanical motionestablished
Aerodynamic and hydrodynamic lift—produces→Mechanical motionestablished
Gravitational descent of fluid—produces→Mechanical motionestablished
  • falling or flowing water transfers weight and momentum to waterwheel buckets or paddles
  • producing shaft rotation
Ocean wave motion—produces→Mechanical motiondemonstrated
  • a buoy, flap or water column following the wave
Evaporation—produces→Mechanical motiondemonstrated
  • hygroscopic spores or films that swell and shrink with humidity, driving a piston or oscillator
Marangoni effect—produces→Mechanical motionreplicated
  • a floating or interface-bound body whose asymmetry (shape, or where it emits a surfactant or absorbs heat) leaves a net surface-tension force or torque on it
  • the body must be free to move on the interface; a rigid wall only sets up a flow
Two independent groups: thermocapillary microgears (Maggi et al. 2015, light-heated, up to 300 r.p.m.) and solutocapillary camphor rotors carrying magnets past a coil (Frenkel et al. 2019, 10–20 h). Distinct from Marangoni flow turning a rotor: here the Marangoni stress acts on the moving body directly.
Radiation pressure—produces→Mechanical motionestablished
  • the illuminated body is mechanically free or compliant enough to move or deform under the radiation-pressure force
Thermal shape-memory effect—produces→Mechanical motionestablished
Working-fluid expansion (heat-engine cycle)—produces→Mechanical motionestablished
Ocean thermal energy conversion—produces→Mechanical motiondemonstrated
converts into · 1
Mechanical motion—converts into→Mechanical workestablished

Enumerated routes through this · 235 (showing 24)

Cited sources · 13

  1. [1]
    M. Faraday. Experimental researches in electricity (1832)
    Philosophical Transactions of the Royal Society 122, 125–162 · doi:10.1098/rstl.1832.0006 · crossref ✓ 2026-09-19 · record
  2. [2]
    S. P. Beeby, et al.. A micro electromagnetic generator for vibration energy harvesting (2007)
    Journal of Micromechanics and Microengineering 17, 1257 · doi:10.1088/0960-1317/17/7/007 · crossref ✓ 2026-09-19 · record
  3. [3]
    A. Bejan. Advanced Engineering Thermodynamics (4th ed.) (2016)
    Wiley · doi:10.1002/9781119245964 · crossref ✓ 2026-09-19 · record
  4. [4]
    S. L. Dixon, C. A. Hall. Fluid Mechanics and Thermodynamics of Turbomachinery (7th ed.) (2014)
    Butterworth-Heinemann · doi:10.1016/C2011-0-05059-7 · crossref ✓ 2026-09-19 · record
  5. [5]
    A. Erturk, D. J. Inman. Piezoelectric Energy Harvesting (2011)
    Wiley · doi:10.1002/9781119991151 · crossref ✓ 2026-09-19 · record
  6. [6]
    S. H. Salter. Wave power (1974)
    Nature 249, 720–724 · doi:10.1038/249720a0 · crossref ✓ 2026-09-19 · record
  7. [7]
    X. Chen et al.. Scaling up nanoscale water-driven energy conversion into evaporation-driven engines and generators (2015)
    Nature Communications 6, 7346 · doi:10.1038/ncomms8346 · crossref ✓ 2026-09-19 · record
  8. [8]
    C. Maggi et al.. Micromotors with asymmetric shape that efficiently convert light into work by thermocapillary effects (2015)
    Nature Communications 6, 7855 · doi:10.1038/ncomms8855 · record
  9. [9]
    M. Frenkel et al.. Mini-Generator of Electrical Power Exploiting the Marangoni Flow Inspired Self-Propulsion (2019)
    ACS Omega 4, 15265–15268 · doi:10.1021/acsomega.9b02257 · record
  10. [10]
    A. C. Trowbridge, E. M. Wright, K. Dholakia. Radiation pressure revisited: historical context and the role of structured light (2025)
    Journal of Optics 27, 075402 · doi:10.1088/2040-8986/ade8fb · crossref ✓ 2026-09-20 · record
  11. [11]
    P. Kumar et al.. Shape memory alloy engine for high efficiency low-temperature gradient thermal to electrical conversion (2019)
    Applied Energy 251, 113277 · doi:10.1016/j.apenergy.2019.05.080 · crossref ✓ 2026-09-20 · record
  12. [12]
    K. Otsuka (ed.), C. M. Wayman (ed.). Shape Memory Materials (1998)
    Cambridge University Press · book, no DOI · record
  13. [13]
    G. Claude. Power from the tropical seas (1930)
    Mechanical Engineering 52, 1039–1044 · paper, no DOI · record

Cite this entity

Physical Transformation Atlas (2026). entity carrier:mechanical-motion: Mechanical motion. Dataset revision rbfbfcbb70e57 (hash of the canonical data). https://physical-transformation-atlas.wldud5192.workers.dev/e/carrier/mechanical-motion

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