LIL TIMMY PT 2
Storyboard Text
- Slide: 1
- Conductivity in normal conductors is achieved because electrons have weak bonds to the nuclei and are able to pass through easily. But because there is temperature present in the system, the nuclei will move and bump into, and occasionally influence an electron flowing in the lattice, converting electrical energy to heat energy in the process. We see with normal conductors that the higher the temperature, the more the resistance goes up. But, for some materials, at low enough temperatures, they reach critical temperature, where the resistance drops to absolute zero.
- Timmy researches conductivity and how resistance works.
- Slide: 2
- When superconductors reach their critical temperatures, their nuclei in their crystal lattices slow down and vibrate a lot less. As the electron moves to the positive terminal of the battery, it attracts nearby nuclei towards it as it is negatively charged and the nuclei in the lattice are positively charged. When the nuclei are all pulled together, this creates a positively charged disturbance that attracts other electrons. The attraction between the electrons is possible because the enormity of the positive disturbance overwhelms the repelling negative forces of the electrons. This forms Cooper pairs, which are extremely weak bonds formed between electrons that can be disturbed by the slightest amount of thermal vibration in the system, which is why superconductivity can only be achieved at low temperatures. These Cooper pairs are also only possible because of specific changes in particles called fermions and bosons, but we won’t go into these because they take way too much time to explain. Cooper pairs are formed across long distances in the lattice between random electrons flowing through the lattice to the positive terminal. This means that the electrons in a Cooper pair are kept at a certain distance and move together as one even though they are apart. The abundance of Cooper pairs in a superconductive lattice entangle with one another and make it so that for resistance to be present in the lattice, every single electron would need to collide with the nuclei. This is so unlikely that some superconductors have been running a single current for years without any resistance.
- Timmy learns about superconductivity, when materials have zero resistance.
- Slide: 3
- Materials2.5” diameter 0.5” thickness disk of material of choice (independent variable)100ml Liquid nitrogen, stored in an open lid styrofoam cup (or any other non-heat conductive container. MUST BE OPEN LID)0.25” length/diameter cube/disk shaped rare earth magnetPetri dish more than 5” diameterPlastic tongs, sized reasonably to grab rare earth magnetSafety Glasses
- ProcedurePlace the material of choice in the centre of the petri dish.Place rare earth magnet on top of the material of choice using plastic tongs.Pour enough liquid nitrogen so that the material of choice is not submerged, but rather slightly below the top of the disk. Make sure not to displace the magnet.Visually observe the magnet for any levitation for 5 minutes. Record observations.Remove the magnet and material of choice with plastic tongs (remove the magnet before the material)Carefully dispose of the liquid nitrogen, or pour back into the container previously used with extreme caution.
- Sapphire
- Yellow Cake
- Meteor
- Timmy tests different materials that he finds hanging around.
- Timmy decided not to use liquid nitrogen because he wants to see if the meteor is superconductive at room temperature. He takes out the liquid nitrogen because he knows that it is just a coolant for the material.
- Slide: 0
- Alright, if any of these magnets float, then it means that the material under it is superconductive at room temperature.
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