Superconductivity

6 Pages 1551 Words

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electrons moving from one empty slot to another in the atoms' outer shells.
The problem with these conductors is the fact that they do not let all the
current get through. Whenever an electric current flows, it encounters some
resistance, which changes the electrical energy into heat. This is what causes
the wires to heat. The conductors become themselves like a resistance but an
unwanted one. This explains why only 95% of the power generated by an AC
generator reaches consumers. The rest is converted into useless heat along the
way. The conducting wire is made of vibrating atoms called lattice. The higher
the temperature, the more the lattice shakes making it harder for the electrons
to travel through that wire. It becomes like a jungle full of obstacles. Some
of the electrons will bump with the vibrating atoms and impurities and fly off
in all directions and lose energy in form of heat. This is known as friction.
This is where superconductivity comes into work. Inside a superconductor, the
lattice and the impurities are still there, but their state is much different
from that of an o...