Superconductivity Essay -- essays research papers

SuperconductivityINTRODUCTIONWeve all heard about superconductivity. But, do we all know what it is?How it work and what be its uses? To start talking about superconductivity, wemust try to understand the how "normal" conductivity works. This will make itmuch easier to understand how the "super" break-dance functions. In the followingparagraphs, I will explain how superconductivity works, some of the currentproblems and some examples of its uses.CONDUCTIVITYConductivity is the ability of a substance to carry electricity. manysubstances like copper, aluminium, silver and gold do it very well. They arecalled conductors. Others conduct electricity partially and they are calledsemi-conductors. The concept of electric transmission is very unsophisticated tounderstand. The wire that conducts the electric current is made of atoms which bind equal numbers of protons and electrons making the atoms electricallyneutral. If this balance is disturbed by gain or divergence o f electrons, the atomswill become electrically charged and are called ions. Electrons occupy energystates. Each level requires a certain amount of energy. For an electron to impressto a higher level, it will require the set amount of energy. Electrons provokemove between different levels and between different materials but to do that,they require the right amount of energy and an "empty" slot in the band theyenter. The metallic conductors have a lot of these slots and this is where thefree electrons will head when voltage (energy) is applied. A simpler way to lookat this is to think of atoms aligned in a straight line (wire). if we add anelectron to the first atom of the line, that atom would have an excess ofelectrons so it releases an different electron which will go to the second atom andthe process repeats again and again until an electron pops out from the end ofthe wire. We can then say that conduction of an electrical current is simplyelectrons moving from one emp ty slot to another in the atoms outer shells.The problem with these conductors is the occurrence that they do not let all thecurrent get through. Whenever an electric current flows, it encounters some enemy, which changes the electrical energy into heat. This is what causesthe wires to heat. The conductors become themselves like a resistance but anunwanted one. This explains why only 95% of the power... ...vious afterwards. Its as if the train was "surfing" on waves ofvoltage.THE MAGSHIPAnother interesting application is what is referred to as the magship. Thisship has no engine, no propellers and no rudder. It has a unique power sourcewhich is electromagnetism. The generator on the boat creates a current whichtravels from one electrode to another which go submerged on each side of theship. This makes the water electrically charged. This only works in salt waterbecause pure water would not conduct the current. The magnets which are locatedon the bottom of the ship would pr oduce a magnetic field which will push thewater away making the ship move forward. There are a lot of problems relatedwith that. The magnetic field could attract metallic objects and even otherships causing many accidents.CONCLUSIONAs time goes by, transition temperature, critical field (maximum magneticfield intensity that a superconductor can support before failing), currentcapacity and all other problems are improving slowly. But, at least they showthat we are moving in the right direction. A lot of people are getting kindle in that field since it promises a lot for the future.