100 years of superconductivity

By Deirdre Black2012-01-01T14:13:00

A magnet levitating above a high-temperature superconductor, cooled with liquid nitrogen

Source: Ktsdesign/Shutterstock

Superconductivity was discovered in 1911, Deirdre Black looks back

In 1911, Heike Kamerlingh Onnes, a low-temperature physicist, discovered the extraordinary phenomenon of superconductivity. He found that some metals, when cooled to very low temperatures, have no electrical resistance. So a wire made of these metals can carry an electric current around it forever, without needing a battery or other power source. This discovery came as a consequence of Onnes’ research on techniques to liquefy gases with the goal of reaching absolute zero.

Thanks for using Education in Chemistry. You can view one Education in Chemistry article per month as a visitor.

A photograph of a teacher standing in a white lab coat, speaking with a class of children in a laboratory, is superimposed on a colourful background. Text reads "Teach Chemistry means support for classroom and staff room".

Register for Teach Chemistry for free, unlimited access

Registration is open to all teachers and technicians at secondary schools, colleges and teacher training institutions in the UK and Ireland.

Get all this, plus much more:

unlimited access to resources, core practical videos and Education in Chemistry articles
teacher well-being toolkit, personal development resources and online assessments
applications for funding to support your lessons

Set up your Teach Chemistry account

Already a Teach Chemistry member? Sign in now.

Not eligible for Teach Chemistry? Sign up for a personal account instead, or you can also access all our resources with Royal Society of Chemistry membership.