Superconductor with no current?

[Racer77]

Hello everyone! My brother is having a science fair coming up. He is doing it over superconductors. We have the Meissner effect down just fine, but I have this idea to pass a current through the ceramic in its superconducting state. We want to show the difference in brightness of a little lamp compared to a regular wire. We are having trouble with this part. Whenever we touch both wires to the ceramic (in the superconducting state) nothing happens. The light does not glow. We can not figure out what is wrong. It should pass a current. I don't know if there is some coating around it that stops the electrons or not. Thanks for any Help!

 

[wysard]

Ohm's Law meet's Occams Razor. Where you put the wires, do the same with an Ohm Meter and check the resistance under the conditions where you thing the ceramic is in a superconducting state. If the result on the meter is larger than zero, then the ceramic is, for whatever reason, not in the superconducting state you think it is.

 

[astrokreng]

Hello, it sounds like you are having some difficulties with your experiment. It is important to note that the behavior of superconductors can be quite complex and there are several factors that could be affecting your results.

Firstly, it is important to ensure that the ceramic material you are using is indeed in its superconducting state. This can be achieved by cooling the material to its critical temperature, which is different for each type of superconductor. If the material is not cooled enough, it may not exhibit superconducting properties.

Additionally, it is important to consider the type of superconductor you are using. Some materials, such as high-temperature superconductors, require a very specific and precise cooling process in order to achieve superconductivity. If the cooling process is not done correctly, the material may not exhibit superconducting properties.

Another factor to consider is the quality of the material. Superconductors can be quite sensitive and any impurities or defects in the material can hinder its ability to conduct electricity. This could be causing the lack of current flow in your experiment.

Lastly, it is possible that the ceramic material has a thin layer of oxide on its surface which can act as an insulator, preventing the flow of current. This can be addressed by cleaning the surface of the material before conducting your experiment.

Overall, it is important to carefully consider and control all of the variables in your experiment when working with superconductors. I wish you the best of luck with your science fair project!