Wheel for studies on the impossibility of perpetual motion

In Leonardo's day, heated arguments raged over the possibility of achieving perpetual motion. He strongly disagreed with the defenders of this theory, and proved the impossibility of perpetual motion by means of a series of drawings and writings. The model on this page is made up of small bars with weights attached to their ends. Experiments proved that "whichever weight is attached to the wheel...", perpetual motion would never be achieved. See also the wheel with small iron balls for studies on the impossibility of perpetual motion.
Codex Forster II, sheet 90 v.