Year 12s: what will be the first way you research your future options? >>

Resistance/Super Conductivity question

The diagram below shows the cross–section of a cable consisting of parallel filaments that
can be made superconducting, embedded in a cylinder of copper
State and explain what happens to the resistance of the cable when the embedded filaments of wire are made superconducting.

One of the solutions is: Copper still has resistance but it is in parallel with filaments with zero resistance so total resistance is zero...
This didn't make sense to me.. I thought superconductivity meant there was no resistance in the actual material so why does copper still have resistance. and also if its in parallel then why does that mean that its overal resistance is zero :/
thanks

Reply 1

an_atheist

Original post by Someboady

The diagram below shows the cross–section of a cable consisting of parallel filaments thatcan be made superconducting, embedded in a cylinder of copperState and explain what happens to the resistance of the cable when the embedded filaments of wire are made superconducting.One of the solutions is: Copper still has resistance but it is in parallel with filaments with zero resistance so total resistance is zero...This didn't make sense to me.. I thought superconductivity meant there was no resistance in the actual material so why does copper still have resistance. and also if its in parallel then why does that mean that its overal resistance is zero :/thanks