Plasma

The Fourth Property of Matter.Sungjae Cho, Douglass Cook

What is Plasma?

• A mixture of molecules and free radicals or charged ions

• An element with a very high amount of en-ergy.

• Contains charged particles, positive ions and negative electrons

Characteristics of plama

• can only be seen under certain circumstances, like in a plasma ball.

• It's not a solid nor is it a liquid. It's SOME-WHAT of a gas, but it's partionally ionized

How is it formed?

• 1. Heating a gas dissociates its molecular bonds, rendering it into its constituent atoms. 2. Further heating leads to ionization (a loss or gain of electrons), turning it into a plasma. containing charged particles, positive ions and negative electrons

Where can it be found?

• Most flames• Lightning• All the stars, and even the space between the

stars is filled with a plasmaThe solar wind

Why plasma?

• the most populat phase of matter.• Most of the matter in the universe exists as

plasma.• Electrons in metals exist as a plasma.• Ions in our ionosphere exist as a plasma.• Without plasma, the earth would have never

existed.

How can it be used?

• plasma displays, including TVs• Inside fluorescent lamps (low energy lighting),

neon signs• Rocket exhaust and ion thrusters• Fusion energy research• can be inoculated with other chemicals to de-

tectthe body's reaction to infections, cancer, or HIV, the virus that causes AIDS