Final answer:
The resistance of a typical conductor increases with temperature, while a superconductor's resistance decreases and becomes zero below its critical temperature, allowing for lossless energy conduction.
Step-by-step explanation:
The resistance of a typical conductor increases as the temperature increases, and the resistance of a superconductor decreases as the temperature decreases. The resistance of a superconductor becomes zero when it is below a critical temperature. This critical temperature is different for various superconductors. For example, YBa₂Cu₃O₇, a high-temperature superconductor, sees its resistance drop to zero below 92 K. Superconductivity is a phenomenon that occurs when materials exhibit zero electrical resistance, allowing for the potential of lossless energy transmission if they are kept below their critical temperatures.
High-temperature superconductors have critical temperatures greater than 125 K, which is above the temperature of liquid nitrogen (77 K). This makes superconductivity more accessible for practical applications. Traditional superconductors, such as mercury, become superconducting at very low temperatures, for example, mercury below approximately 4.2 K. On the other hand, the resistance of a superconductor decreases as the temperature decreases below a critical value. Superconductivity is a state in which the resistivity of a material drops to zero, allowing for the free flow of electric current without any resistance. Superconductors exhibit this behavior at very low temperatures.