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Remember the last time you were amazed by a levitation magic trick? Did you know
the secret behind it?
Remember the last time you said the phrase “go on forever”? Did you mean it
literally?
Since like charges repel, negatively-charged electrons are “hostile” towards each
other. However, in the extreme cold environment, the positively-charged ions, as if
acting as pacifiers, are able to unite the “hostile” electrons into pairs. As these
electron pairs move along the ionic lattice, they distort the lattice structure slightly.
With such distortions, the electron pairs are able to avoid any collisions with the ionic
lattice. Hence, no energy is lost by the electrons; the electrical resistance falls to zero.
In this superconducting state, a closed loop of electrical current set up in the
superconductor will truly flow on forever. Eternity is more than the imagination of the
mind.
Now, let us shift our focus to another fascinating phenomenon called the magnetic
levitation. Normally, when a magnet is placed on a conductor, the magnet’s weak
magnetic field will penetrate through the conductor. However, in the case of a
superconductor, all the external magnetic field will be expelled from the interior of a
superconductor. This is due to a spontaneous current flow in the superconductor. As
moving charges produce a magnetic field, the current in the superconductor generates
a magnetic field to exactly cancel out all the external magnetic field. This expulsion
of the magnetic field creates an opposing force that levitates the magnet.
Imagine a world where superconductors exist at room temperature. Isn’t this making
all the science-fiction fanatics like us burning with excitement?
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