Not versed in physics but I have a question?

[everything_imp]

This may be a very dumb question. You may not even like answering it or it is possible that you think it's just silly but here it is.

I have been researching a lot of alternative fuels and energy sources since the gas prices have sky rocketed. I came across the idea of having electrolysis onboard in a car which was powered by an alternator which separated the hydrogen/oxygen then used that to run the cars engine which in turn ran the alternator.

So, I was wanting a simple or complicated explanation of how this breaks the whatever laws of physics it is suppose to break? I have follow up questions that I am curious about.

[HallsofIvy]

This may be a very dumb question. You may not even like answering it or it is possible that you think it's just silly but here it is.

I have been researching a lot of alternative fuels and energy sources since the gas prices have sky rocketed. I came across the idea of having electrolysis onboard in a car which was powered by an alternator which separated the hydrogen/oxygen then used that to run the cars engine which in turn ran the alternator.

So, I was wanting a simple or complicated explanation of how this breaks the whatever laws of physics it is suppose to break? I have follow up questions that I am curious about.
The most crucial law of physics it breaks is "you can't get something for nothing"- also called "conservation of energy". If I read your sentence correctly, an alternator is providing electrical energy to separate water into hydrogen and oxygen, then igniting the hydrogen, oxygen mixture to provide energy to BOTH run the car and run the alternator! Does it also recycle the water produced when when the hydrogen and oxygen are ignited so you never have to add more water?

By "conservation of energy" you can't possibly get more energy out of igniting the hydrogen, oxygen combination than you have to use to electrolyse the water to begin with. You certainly can't get enough energy out to both run the car AND electrolyse the water.

In fact, if you don't worry about running the car and just try to get enough energy out of burning the hydrogen,oxygen to then produce electricity to separate the water (a "perpetual motion machine of the first kind") the "second law of thermodynamics" says you can do that. There MUST be some resistance in the wires, loss to the atmosphere, etc. to eventually shut it down.

Finally, more of a "chemical" law than "physics", the reason why water doesn't just turn to hydrogen and oxygen as you are drinking it is that it take MORE energy to electrolyse water into hydrogen and oxygen than you get out by burning them again.

[arikwex]

Here's a simple explanation similar to the previous one.

1) The laws of Entropy state that you're ****ed and you will never have 100% efficiency.

2) Nature tends to do the things that consume the LEAST possible energy.

Combining facts 1 and 2, we can determine that water is not meant to burn in any fashion (even if u break the bonds between Hydrogen and Oxygen).

According to (2) water would just burn as it is naturally found if it was more efficient to do so. Seeing as water does NOT burn, this means that it will undoubtedly require more energy to break water bonds then burn the new chemical extracts.