http://www.physicsbook.gatech.edu/api.php?action=feedcontributions&feedformat=atom&user=Ian+Sebastian 2026-05-13T00:53:38Z User contributions MediaWiki 1.42.7 http://www.physicsbook.gatech.edu/index.php?title=Talk:Superconducters&diff=2174 2015-11-27T22:24:11Z

<p>Ian Sebastian: /* Main Idea */</p> <hr /> <div>A work in progress by the renowned author Ian Sebastian.<br /> <br /> == Main Idea ==<br /> <br /> This page will consist of the discussion for Superconductors: what they are, how they work, and (most importantly) what you'll need to learn about them for the class. <br /> <br /> Before we bridge the topic of superconductors, let us consider the properties of an ordinary conductor. As we know, steady electric flow in a substance only happens when the atoms in that substance are close together. When the atoms are spaced far apart (as is the case with a gas) it takes a massive electric force to make electrons move across vast distances. This can be easily observed in thunderstorms, if air was a better conductor, electrons could flow freely from the clouds to the ground, and we would never see lightning. Now compare the atoms in air compared to the atoms in a copper bar. The atoms in the bar are tightly packed next to each other while the atoms in a gas move around randomly due to their immense energy. From this analysis, it can be seen that the state of the particle is related to how well electricity flows, and so the question arises: What would happen to a conductor if the particles were closer together? We would expect that electrons would flow easier, and we would be right. If a person were to look at a circuit at room temperature as opposed to a circuit in a freezer, one would notice that the bulb in the freezer glows brighter than the one at room temperature. Why? Think of Ohm's law: <br /> <br /> Emf = IR<br /> <br /> Where emf is the voltage of the battery in the circuit in volts, I is the current in Amps, and R is the resistance in Ohms.<br /> When the conductor is cooled, the individual atoms in the conductor grow closer together which makes it easier for electrons to move. One could say that there's less ''resisting'' the movement because the resistance decreases. Now let's say we connected the circuit to a 9V battery. In the freezer and out of the freezer, that sucker is still 9V. So if our Emf is constant and R is decreased, that could only mean that the current, I, increased. Once would expect that as we approach 0 degrees Kelvin (as cold as physically possible) that resistance would approach zero. However, what's surprising is that this isn't the case for certain conductors. This is the basis for superconductors.<br /> <br /> Superconductors are regular conductors that have a peculiar property once the temperature is cooled to a certain temperature. This temperature is called the ''Critical Temperature'' and it differs for every superconductor. Once a proper conductor reaches this temperature, the resistance becomes ''zero'' not ''approximately zero'' as we would expect but literal ''zero.'' This means that once a current is induced into the system, it will ''never'' stop because there's nothing to stop it! Imagining the possibilities of a never-ending stream of current highlights exactly why superconductors are the &quot;super&quot; big deal that they are. But since everything we've dealt with thus far involving electricity deals with current in terms of resistance, we need to go over a few rules that pertain specifically to superconductors.<br /> <br /> == Examples ==<br /> <br /> Be sure to show all steps in your solution and include diagrams whenever possible <br /> <br /> Simple[edit]<br /> <br /> Middling[edit]<br /> <br /> Difficult[edit]<br /> <br /> == Connectedness ==<br /> <br /> 1.How is this topic connected to something that you are interested in? <br /> <br /> 2.How is it connected to your major? <br /> <br /> 3.Is there an interesting industrial application?<br /> <br /> == History ==<br /> <br /> Put this idea in historical context. Give the reader the Who, What, When, Where, and Why.<br /> <br /> == See Also ==<br /> <br /> Are there related topics or categories in this wiki resource for the curious reader to explore? How does this topic fit into that context?<br /> <br /> Further reading[edit]<br /> <br /> Books, Articles or other print media on this topic <br /> <br /> External links[edit]<br /> <br /> Internet resources on this topic <br /> <br /> References[edit]<br /> <br /> == References ==<br /> <br /> This section contains the the references you used while writing this page</div>

Ian Sebastian http://www.physicsbook.gatech.edu/index.php?title=Talk:Superconducters&diff=2169 2015-11-27T22:18:32Z

<p>Ian Sebastian: </p> <hr /> <div>A work in progress by the renowned author Ian Sebastian.<br /> <br /> == Main Idea ==<br /> <br /> This page will consist of the discussion for Superconductors: what they are, how they work, and (most importantly) what you'll need to learn about them for the class. <br /> <br /> Before we bridge the topic of superconductors, let us consider the properties of an ordinary conductor. As we know, steady electric flow in a substance only happens when the atoms in that substance are close together. When the atoms are spaced far apart (as is the case with a gas) it takes a massive electric force to make electrons move across vast distances. This can be easily observed in thunderstorms, if air was a better conductor, electrons could flow freely from the clouds to the ground, and we would never see lightning. Now compare the atoms in air compared to the atoms in a copper bar. The atoms in the bar are tightly packed next to each other while the atoms in a gas move around randomly due to their immense energy. From this analysis, it can be seen that the state of the particle is related to how well electricity flows, and so the question arises: What would happen to a conductor if the particles were closer together? We would expect that electrons would flow easier, and we would be right. If a person were to look at a circuit at room temperature as opposed to a circuit in a freezer, one would notice that the bulb in the freezer glows brighter than the one at room temperature. Why? Think of Ohm's law: <br /> <br /> Emf = IR<br /> <br /> Where emf is the voltage of the battery in the circuit in volts, I is the current in Amps, and R is the resistance in Ohms.<br /> When the conductor is cooled, the individual atoms in the conductor grow closer together which makes it easier for electrons to move. One could say that there's less ''resisting'' the movement because the resistance decreases. Now let's say we connected the circuit to a 9V battery. In the freezer and out of the freezer, that sucker is still 9V. So if our Emf is constant and R is decreased, that could only mean that the current, I, increased. Once would expect that as we approach 0 degrees Kelvin (as cold as physically possible) that resistance would approach zero. However, what's surprising is that this isn't the case for certain conductors. This is the basis for superconductors.<br /> <br /> Superconductors are regular conductors that have a peculiar property once the temperature is cooled to a certain temperature. This temperature is called the ''Critical Temperature'' and it differs for every superconductor. Once a proper conductor reaches this temperature, the resistance becomes ''zero'' not ''approximately zero'' as we would expect but literal ''zero.'' <br /> <br /> == Examples ==<br /> <br /> Be sure to show all steps in your solution and include diagrams whenever possible <br /> <br /> Simple[edit]<br /> <br /> Middling[edit]<br /> <br /> Difficult[edit]<br /> <br /> == Connectedness ==<br /> <br /> 1.How is this topic connected to something that you are interested in? <br /> <br /> 2.How is it connected to your major? <br /> <br /> 3.Is there an interesting industrial application?<br /> <br /> == History ==<br /> <br /> Put this idea in historical context. Give the reader the Who, What, When, Where, and Why.<br /> <br /> == See Also ==<br /> <br /> Are there related topics or categories in this wiki resource for the curious reader to explore? How does this topic fit into that context?<br /> <br /> Further reading[edit]<br /> <br /> Books, Articles or other print media on this topic <br /> <br /> External links[edit]<br /> <br /> Internet resources on this topic <br /> <br /> References[edit]<br /> <br /> == References ==<br /> <br /> This section contains the the references you used while writing this page</div>

Ian Sebastian http://www.physicsbook.gatech.edu/index.php?title=Superconducters&diff=2159 2015-11-27T21:51:28Z

<p>Ian Sebastian: </p> <hr /> <div>A work in progress by the renowned author Ian Sebastian.<br /> <br /> == Introduction to Resistance==<br /> <br /> The reason why super conductance is a cool topic to learn about is because of electrical resistance (link here). Electrical resistance is basically what causes things to wear out and devices to need to be replaced. You can &quot;feel&quot; it or see properties of it if you've ever felt a circuit, or even a laptop that's extra hot after long periods of use. It can easily be thought of as the obstacles that prevent water from flowing in a pipe, with water being the electrons. The material that the pipe is made of could present issues, as well as the size and shape of the pipe. For the most part, water will flow more slowly through a pipe than it would without a pipe. <br /> <br /> The problem of electrical resistance has a lot of potential to create really cool electrical devices for the future. It's somewhat analogous to friction from physics 1 in the sense that it slowly leaches energy from a system until it reaches zero. Just like how without friction, you could kick a ball around the world without it stopping or slowing down, without electric resistance, you could create a circuit that would have a current flowing forever. This has really cool practical applications and could create all sorts of new technology for the future- imagine devices that didn't need to be charged, or super low energy prices. More on this later.<br /> <br /> == How a Superconducter Works ==<br /> <br /> When you lower the temperature of a metal, its resistance will decrease. You could demonstrate this by taking a basic circuit and freezing it- because of ohm's law, the bulb would start to glow brighter since there is a lot more current flowing through. (V=IR, lowering R will raise I which will raise brightness). For most materials, taking them to absolute zero (or really close) will cause the resistance to decrease to almost zero, but not quite. However, some materials, superconductors, lose all resistance to current. The difference between &quot;almost zero&quot; and &quot;actually zero&quot; is enough to give rise to some cool properties of superconductors. <br /> <br /> Obviously, having to cool something down to absolute zero, or very close, creates a lot of problems from a research standpoint alone. Some superconducters can exist under their particular critical temperature.</div>

Ian Sebastian http://www.physicsbook.gatech.edu/index.php?title=Talk:Superconducters&diff=2131 2015-11-27T21:15:49Z

<p>Ian Sebastian: /* References */ new section</p> <hr /> <div>A work in progress by the renowned author Ian Sebastian.<br /> <br /> == Main Idea ==<br /> <br /> This page will consist of the discussion for Superconductors: what they are, how they work, and (most importantly) what you'll need to learn about them for the class.<br /> <br /> == Examples ==<br /> <br /> Be sure to show all steps in your solution and include diagrams whenever possible <br /> <br /> Simple[edit]<br /> <br /> Middling[edit]<br /> <br /> Difficult[edit]<br /> <br /> == Connectedness ==<br /> <br /> 1.How is this topic connected to something that you are interested in? <br /> <br /> 2.How is it connected to your major? <br /> <br /> 3.Is there an interesting industrial application?<br /> <br /> == History ==<br /> <br /> Put this idea in historical context. Give the reader the Who, What, When, Where, and Why.<br /> <br /> == See Also ==<br /> <br /> Are there related topics or categories in this wiki resource for the curious reader to explore? How does this topic fit into that context?<br /> <br /> Further reading[edit]<br /> <br /> Books, Articles or other print media on this topic <br /> <br /> External links[edit]<br /> <br /> Internet resources on this topic <br /> <br /> References[edit]<br /> <br /> == References ==<br /> <br /> This section contains the the references you used while writing this page</div>

Ian Sebastian http://www.physicsbook.gatech.edu/index.php?title=Talk:Superconducters&diff=2127 2015-11-27T21:14:20Z

<p>Ian Sebastian: </p> <hr /> <div>A work in progress by the renowned author Ian Sebastian.<br /> <br /> == Main Idea ==<br /> <br /> This page will consist of the discussion for Superconductors: what they are, how they work, and (most importantly) what you'll need to learn about them for the class.<br /> <br /> == Examples ==<br /> <br /> Be sure to show all steps in your solution and include diagrams whenever possible <br /> <br /> Simple[edit]<br /> <br /> Middling[edit]<br /> <br /> Difficult[edit]<br /> <br /> == Connectedness ==<br /> <br /> 1.How is this topic connected to something that you are interested in? <br /> <br /> 2.How is it connected to your major? <br /> <br /> 3.Is there an interesting industrial application?<br /> <br /> == History ==<br /> <br /> Put this idea in historical context. Give the reader the Who, What, When, Where, and Why.<br /> <br /> == See Also ==<br /> <br /> Are there related topics or categories in this wiki resource for the curious reader to explore? How does this topic fit into that context?<br /> <br /> Further reading[edit]<br /> <br /> Books, Articles or other print media on this topic <br /> <br /> External links[edit]<br /> <br /> Internet resources on this topic <br /> <br /> References[edit]</div>

Ian Sebastian http://www.physicsbook.gatech.edu/index.php?title=Talk:Superconducters&diff=2125 2015-11-27T21:13:41Z

<p>Ian Sebastian: /* See Also */ new section</p> <hr /> <div>A work in progress by the renowned author Ian Sebastian.<br /> <br /> == Main Idea ==<br /> <br /> This page will consist of the discussion for Superconductors: what they are, how they work, and (most importantly) what you'll need to learn about them for the class.<br /> <br /> == Examples ==<br /> <br /> Be sure to show all steps in your solution and include diagrams whenever possible <br /> <br /> Simple[edit]<br /> <br /> Middling[edit]<br /> <br /> Difficult[edit]<br /> <br /> == Connectedness ==<br /> <br /> 1.How is this topic connected to something that you are interested in? <br /> <br /> 2.How is it connected to your major? <br /> <br /> 3.Is there an interesting industrial application?<br /> <br /> == History ==<br /> <br /> Put this idea in historical context. Give the reader the Who, What, When, Where, and Why.<br /> <br /> == See Also ==<br /> <br /> Are there related topics or categories in this wiki resource for the curious reader to explore? How does this topic fit into that context?</div>

Ian Sebastian http://www.physicsbook.gatech.edu/index.php?title=Talk:Superconducters&diff=2124 2015-11-27T21:13:12Z

<p>Ian Sebastian: /* History */ new section</p> <hr /> <div>A work in progress by the renowned author Ian Sebastian.<br /> <br /> == Main Idea ==<br /> <br /> This page will consist of the discussion for Superconductors: what they are, how they work, and (most importantly) what you'll need to learn about them for the class.<br /> <br /> == Examples ==<br /> <br /> Be sure to show all steps in your solution and include diagrams whenever possible <br /> <br /> Simple[edit]<br /> <br /> Middling[edit]<br /> <br /> Difficult[edit]<br /> <br /> == Connectedness ==<br /> <br /> 1.How is this topic connected to something that you are interested in? <br /> <br /> 2.How is it connected to your major? <br /> <br /> 3.Is there an interesting industrial application?<br /> <br /> == History ==<br /> <br /> Put this idea in historical context. Give the reader the Who, What, When, Where, and Why.</div>

Ian Sebastian http://www.physicsbook.gatech.edu/index.php?title=Talk:Superconducters&diff=2123 2015-11-27T21:12:36Z

<p>Ian Sebastian: /* Connectedness */</p> <hr /> <div>A work in progress by the renowned author Ian Sebastian.<br /> <br /> == Main Idea ==<br /> <br /> This page will consist of the discussion for Superconductors: what they are, how they work, and (most importantly) what you'll need to learn about them for the class.<br /> <br /> == Examples ==<br /> <br /> Be sure to show all steps in your solution and include diagrams whenever possible <br /> <br /> Simple[edit]<br /> <br /> Middling[edit]<br /> <br /> Difficult[edit]<br /> <br /> == Connectedness ==<br /> <br /> 1.How is this topic connected to something that you are interested in? <br /> <br /> 2.How is it connected to your major? <br /> <br /> 3.Is there an interesting industrial application?</div>

Ian Sebastian http://www.physicsbook.gatech.edu/index.php?title=Talk:Superconducters&diff=2122 2015-11-27T21:12:21Z

<p>Ian Sebastian: /* Connectedness */ new section</p> <hr /> <div>A work in progress by the renowned author Ian Sebastian.<br /> <br /> == Main Idea ==<br /> <br /> This page will consist of the discussion for Superconductors: what they are, how they work, and (most importantly) what you'll need to learn about them for the class.<br /> <br /> == Examples ==<br /> <br /> Be sure to show all steps in your solution and include diagrams whenever possible <br /> <br /> Simple[edit]<br /> <br /> Middling[edit]<br /> <br /> Difficult[edit]<br /> <br /> == Connectedness ==<br /> <br /> 1.How is this topic connected to something that you are interested in? <br /> 2.How is it connected to your major? <br /> 3.Is there an interesting industrial application?</div>

Ian Sebastian http://www.physicsbook.gatech.edu/index.php?title=Talk:Superconducters&diff=2120 2015-11-27T21:11:11Z

<p>Ian Sebastian: /* Examples */ new section</p> <hr /> <div>A work in progress by the renowned author Ian Sebastian.<br /> <br /> == Main Idea ==<br /> <br /> This page will consist of the discussion for Superconductors: what they are, how they work, and (most importantly) what you'll need to learn about them for the class.<br /> <br /> == Examples ==<br /> <br /> Be sure to show all steps in your solution and include diagrams whenever possible <br /> <br /> Simple[edit]<br /> <br /> Middling[edit]<br /> <br /> Difficult[edit]</div>

Ian Sebastian http://www.physicsbook.gatech.edu/index.php?title=Talk:Superconducters&diff=2112 2015-11-27T21:04:39Z

<p>Ian Sebastian: /* Main Idea */ new section</p> <hr /> <div>A work in progress by the renowned author Ian Sebastian.<br /> <br /> == Main Idea ==<br /> <br /> This page will consist of the discussion for Superconductors: what they are, how they work, and (most importantly) what you'll need to learn about them for the class.</div>

Ian Sebastian http://www.physicsbook.gatech.edu/index.php?title=Talk:Superconducters&diff=2109 2015-11-27T21:02:50Z

<p>Ian Sebastian: This page will consist of the discussion for Superconductors: what they are, how they work, and (most importantly) what you&#039;ll need to learn about them for the class.</p> <hr /> <div>A work in progress by the renowned author Ian Sebastian.</div>

Ian Sebastian