Science
What is Superconductivity?
Superconductivity is a state in which certain materials conduct electricity with exactly zero resistance once cooled below a critical temperature. Current can then flow forever without losing energy, and the material pushes out magnetic fields — the effect behind MRI machines and maglev trains.
See it, don’t just read it.
Watch a 2-minute lesson with voice + animation that explains superconductivity.
Key things to understand
- 1Below a critical temperature, electrical resistance drops to absolute zero — no heat, no energy lost.
- 2Superconductors expel magnetic fields (the Meissner effect), letting magnets levitate above them.
- 3Electrons bind into 'Cooper pairs' that glide through the material without scattering.
- 4Most need extreme cold (near −270°C); 'high-temperature' ones still need around −140°C.
- 5Used in MRI scanners, maglev trains, particle accelerators, and quantum computers.
Frequently asked questions
- Why does a superconductor have zero resistance?
- Its electrons pair up and move in lockstep, so they stop colliding with the atomic lattice and lose no energy as heat.
- What is a room-temperature superconductor?
- A long-sought material that would superconduct without cooling. It would transform power grids and electronics, but no reliable, reproducible one exists yet.
- What is the Meissner effect?
- A superconductor pushes magnetic fields out of its interior, which is why a magnet floats steadily above a cooled superconductor.