Why does it take so much energy to create things, but so little to do destroy them?

Question

For example, it can take months and large amounts of energy to build a structure, yet it can be easily destroyed by a removed support beam.

Answer 1

Entropy...

Answer 2

Looks like because in the physical world all you need to destroy is the strength/power (call it as you want) but to build you need the mind also. And in the physical world you actually see the thing (as oppose to lets say try to destroy something you cannot find)

But nowadays there are certain areas where this principle doesn't work: in ideas or in software. Sometimes (if you don't want to smash the computer but only the software) it's much easier to build the soft than to destory it after it's built because you fight not the matter but the design and it's hard to spot it.

Also in ideas: sometimes it's harder to destroy than to build.

Answer 3

ya... Entropy.

it can be simply said as the disorder of the system. each and every system have a tendency to move towards greater disorder!!! the building is no exception. more disorder means LESS energy.

try this.... if you put a 100 people in a small room, will they be comfortable? but if u put them in a larger room wont they be comfortable??? thats what is entropy... :-)

Answer 4

Yes. as previously mentioned, Entropy will see to it that disorder ensues. Chaos is a natural occurence, and things tend towards disorder. This is encompassed within the 2nd Law of Thermodynamics, and is the main reason why perpetual motion machines (machines that use heat to produce useful work to power themselves) are not possible, because while some conform to the first law, they violate the 2nd law of thermodynamics.