superconductivity
the phenomenon of almost perfect conductivity shown by certain substances at temperatures approaching absolute zero. The recent discovery of materials that are superconductive at temperatures hundreds of degrees above absolute zero raises the possibility of revolutionary developments in the production and transmission of electrical energy.
Origin of superconductivity
1Other words from superconductivity
- su·per·con·duc·tion [soo-per-kuhn-duhk-shuhn], /ˌsu pər kənˈdʌk ʃən/, noun
- su·per·con·duc·tive [soo-per-kuhn-duhk-tiv], /ˌsu pər kənˈdʌk tɪv/, su·per·con·duct·ing, adjective
- su·per·con·duc·tor [soo-per-kuhn-duhk-ter], /ˌsu pər kənˈdʌk tər/, noun
Words Nearby superconductivity
Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
How to use superconductivity in a sentence
For the discovery to ever have practical applications though, the researchers will have to find a way to reduce the pressure required to achieve superconductivity.
Scientists Just Achieved Room Temperature Superconductivity for the First Time | Edd Gent | October 19, 2020 | Singularity HubOver the next few decades superconductivity was found in other super-cooled materials, and in 1933 researchers discovered that superconductors also expel magnetic fields.
Scientists Just Achieved Room Temperature Superconductivity for the First Time | Edd Gent | October 19, 2020 | Singularity HubScientists have for decades sought to understand just what those circumstances are, and to figure out what other elements might be mixed in with hydrogen to achieve superconductivity at progressively higher temperatures and lower pressures.
Room-temperature superconductivity has been achieved for the first time | Niall Firth | October 14, 2020 | MIT Technology ReviewFor many decades afterwards, superconductivity was created only at extremely low temperatures.
Room-temperature superconductivity has been achieved for the first time | Niall Firth | October 14, 2020 | MIT Technology ReviewThat’s more than 50 degrees hotter than the previous high-temperature superconductivity record set last year.
Room-Temperature Superconductivity Achieved for the First Time | Charlie Wood | October 14, 2020 | Quanta Magazine
British Dictionary definitions for superconductivity
/ (ˌsuːpəˌkɒndʌkˈtɪvɪtɪ) /
physics the property of certain substances that have no electrical resistance. In metals it occurs at very low temperatures, but higher temperature superconductivity occurs in some ceramic materials
Derived forms of superconductivity
- superconduction (ˌsuːpəkənˈdʌkʃən), noun
- superconductive or superconducting, adjective
- superconductor, noun
Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012
Scientific definitions for superconductivity
[ sōō′pər-kŏn′dŭk-tĭv′ĭ-tē ]
The ability of certain metals or alloys to conduct an electric current with almost no resistance. Superconductivity usually occurs close to absolute zero, at temperatures approaching -459.67°F (-273.15°C), but has also been observed at temperatures as high as -200°F (-128.88°C).
Other words from superconductivity
- superconductor noun
The American Heritage® Science Dictionary Copyright © 2011. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.
Cultural definitions for superconductivity (1 of 2)
[ (sooh-puhr-kon-duk-tiv-uh-tee) ]
A property of materials by which their electrical resistance goes to zero, and they acquire the ability to carry electric current (see also current) with no losses whatsoever.
Notes for superconductivity
[ (sooh-puhr-kon-duk-tiv-uh-tee) ]
A property of some materials in which their electrical resistance drops to zero, and they acquire the ability to carry electric current (see also current) with no loss of energy whatsoever. Formerly, materials developed superconductivity only at temperatures near absolute zero, but new materials have been found that remain superconductive at temperatures above those of liquid nitrogen. The goal of current research is to find a material that remains superconductive at room temperature.
The New Dictionary of Cultural Literacy, Third Edition Copyright © 2005 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.
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