Question

Discuss how levitation can be achieved by using super conductors.

Answer 1

Superconductors are materials that conduct electric current with no resistance. Electrical resistance is the property of a material to oppose current passing through and is found in nearly everything from light bulb filaments to your own body. Superconductivity occurs at extremely low temperatures and induces, or creates, a strong magnetic field. The current that flows at the surface of the superconducting material creates these magnetic fields. Inside the superconductor, the magnetic fields are cancelled out, but outside they are strong and can levitate a magnet.

Resistance in a material generally decreases with decreasing temperature. Superconductivity occurs as a phase change in materials, and when at a low enough temperature, the current in a superconductor can flow forever without a power source. The temperature at which a material becomes a superconductor is called its critical temperature.