Cite the primary limitation of the new superconducting materials that have relatively high critical temperatures.

Short Answer

Expert verified
Answer: The primary limitation of new superconducting materials with relatively high critical temperatures is the cooling requirements needed to maintain them below their critical temperatures. Despite having higher critical temperatures than conventional superconductors, they still require sophisticated and costly cooling systems to maintain their superconducting properties.

Step by step solution

01

Define Superconductivity

Superconductivity is a phenomenon where a material exhibits zero electrical resistance and expulsion of magnetic fields when cooled down below a certain temperature, known as the critical temperature. For a superconducting material to function effectively, it must be maintained below its critical temperature.
02

Understand High Critical Temperature Superconductors

The new superconducting materials with relatively high critical temperatures are a class of materials known as high-temperature superconductors (HTS). These materials possess much higher critical temperatures than conventional superconductors, allowing them to perform better in certain applications, such as power transmission and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI).
03

Identify the Primary Limitation

Despite their attractive properties, high critical temperature superconductors have a significant limitation: their need for cooling. Although their critical temperatures are higher than those of traditional superconductors, they still need to be cooled down to very low temperatures (often below the boiling point of liquid nitrogen: -196°C) to exhibit the superconductivity phenomenon. Maintaining such low temperatures requires specialized cooling systems and increases both the complexity and cost of their applications.
04

Conclusion

In conclusion, the primary limitation of the new superconducting materials with relatively high critical temperatures is the cooling requirements needed to maintain them below their critical temperatures. Even though these materials exhibit superconductivity at higher temperatures than conventional superconductors, they still require sophisticated and costly cooling systems to maintain their superconducting properties.

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