Plasma

This is a report I did for my ACE which tells us more about this fourth state of matter :


Introduction
Plasma is the fourth state of matter and is basically an ionized gas which has properties that are unlike those of solids, liquids or gases. Thus, most people consider it a new state of matter. Plasma was first discovered by Sir William Crookes in 1879 but he did not identify it as a fourth state of matter. Subsequently in 1897, Sir J.J. Thomson discovered the nature of Crookes’s discovery as a new state of matter. Finally, it was dubbed "plasma" by Irving Langmuir, who most people consider as the man that discovered plasma, in 1928.
Differences from other states of matter

1.    Molecular level

·         Solids molecules can only vibrate in place in a relatively slow motion

·         Liquid molecules can slide over each other and move around faster than solid molecules and the space between the molecules also increase

·         Gas molecules move much faster than liquid molecules and they can move all over the place in a random motion

·         The molecules in a plasma are even faster than gas so much so that they come apart and the nuclei are separated from the electrons

2.    Properties

Ø  Density

·         Solids generally have the highest densities

·         Liquids generally have lower densities than solids

·         Gases generally have even lower densities than liquids

·         Plasmas generally have the lowest densities

Ø  Shape and volume

·         Solids have a definite shape and volume

·         Liquids have no definite shape but instead takes the shape of its container, and they have a definite volume

·         Gases have no definite shape and volume, thus it will take the complete shape of its container

·         Plasma is similar to gas in this area

Ø  *Temperature

·         Solids are generally cooler

·         Liquids are generally warm

·         Gases are generally hotter

·         Plasmas are generally the hottest amongst the four

*The differences in temperature can be linked with the differences on a molecular level as the hotter the matter, the faster the movement of the molecules
*Although plasmas are generally the hottest, there is a type of plasma called ultra cold plasma (not to be confused with cold plasma) which are even cooler than most solids however these are only the minority and are man made through experiments
Examples of plasma
There are not many types of plasma on Earth but there are a few that are quite common such as fluorescent lights and neon signs. Unlike normal light bulbs, fluorescent lights they do not have filament in them but instead, they are filled with gases that get ionized and turn to plasma when the light is switched on and the electricity flows through it. Neon signs follow the same concept. They are also used in the making of plasma TVs. The Sun, the stars and even lightning are all examples of plasma. Although there are few types of plasma on Earth, about 99% of the matter in our universe is in the plasma state.


This is a picture of plasma

This is a picture explaining how the neon lights work