Superconductivity is a phenomenon that occurs when a substance (typically metallic or ceramic) reaches its "critical temperature" (Tc) and loses all electrical resistance. This occurrence takes place at extremely low temperatures, which renders much of the scientific potential difficult to apply to real life situations.
Scientists are currently working on developing superconductors that are closer to room temperature, an improvement which would make superconductors much more important to everybody. Superconductors have the potential to carry an electric charge across an infinite distance without losing any energy whatsoever, and also block out magnetic fields because of the Meissner Effect. If controlled in room temperature, it would be possible to transport electricity from a power plant on Earth to a residential area on Mars, create lightning-fast computer circuits with no resistance, develop weapons such as quickly-reloadable rail guns, and transportation possibilities such as biohazard-free levitating trains.
superconductors, they have no resistance.
superconductors
Superconductors allow the train to 'float' on a layer of magnetism. Since there is no friction (as there would be with wheels on a track) - the trains can reach much higher speeds.
Superconductors
Very low temperatures.
superconductors, they have no resistance.
Because at present all superconductors must be super-cooled in a coolant such as liquid nitrogen to become superconductors.
Resistance decreases with the decrease of temperature. Superconductors are made by lowering the temperature.
Because refrigerating superconductors to the cryogenic temperatures needed by current ones is expensive, severely limiting the applications they are used in.Metallic superconductors need cooling to the temperature of liquid helium.Copper oxide ceramic superconductors need cooling to the temperature of liquid nitrogen.Room temperature superconductors, if they exist, would need little or no cooling.
In a way, all currently existing superconductors are "low-temperature", but some more so than others. The traditional superconductors work up to about 20 K (or minus 253 Centigrade); more recent "high-temperature superconductors" work up to 100 K or so. 100 K is still minus 173 Centigrade, but it is much "hotter" than the traditional superconductors. The new "high-temperature" superconductors apparently work different than the old-fashioned ones; at least, the theory that explains the traditional superconductors fails to explain how the new superconductors work.
In superconductors, no electricity is wasted because there is no resistance to the flow of electrons. In conductors any electricity not used, is wasted.
Franklin Curtis Mason has written: 'The tunnel effect in superconductors' -- subject(s): Superconductors
Anatoli Larkin has written: 'Theory of fluctuations in superconductors' -- subject(s): Fluctuations (Physics), Superconductors
Superconductors are materials that let current or electricity pass through them. Insulators are materials that don't allow current or electricity to pass through them. Superconductors are mostly all metals. Insulators are wood, plastic, and paper.
Weonwoo Kim has written: 'Doping experiments on magnetic heavy fermion superconductors' -- subject(s): Superconductors
superconductors
superconductors