Plasma: the Fourth State of Matter?
Most of us have heard of the three states of matter: solid, liquid, and gas. However, there’s another state of matter that scientists are able to create with the right conditions—plasma. Plasmas are made up of positively and negatively charged particles (ions) that move freely in the space around them, which allows them to conduct electricity and heat more effectively than solids or liquids can. There are lots of important things we use plasmas for, including medicine and nuclear fusion research; but how do they work? And what makes them different from solid or liquid matter?
What is plasma
There are many types of plasma in the world, from stars to TVs. All pluminums have ions (electrically charged particles) that float around because they are charged. The four different types of plasmas vary based on their levels of pressure, temperature, and density. So what exactly is plasma anyway?
The term plasma stems from a Greek word meaning colorless, which was used to describe purified substances that turned into gas when heated up enough. We now know that most matter in the universe exists as plasma because high temperatures will ionize (isolate electrons from) atoms or molecules - so instead we say most matter in space. On Earth, there are four different states: solid, liquid, gas, and plasma.
How do you make plasma
To create plasma, ionize gases are needed that have been cooled to a low enough temperature to result in an even distribution of charges. Due to how cold they need to be, gas ionization happens rather quickly in environments where there are low levels of ambient noise. In a sealed container under atmospheric pressure, these gases might need no more than tens or hundreds of volts. The coldest such environment can be found in space--whereupon applying electrical discharge will typically produce plasmas at less than 300 degrees Kelvin (typically between 10,000-100,000 volts).
Safety Concerns
You may have seen commercials on television with a cartoon Gecko. Donating plasma is safe, quick, convenient, and rewarding. So what are you waiting for?! Let's learn about this awesome opportunity!
-Donors can donate as often as once per week, or every two weeks, depending on individual schedules.
-You can donate whole blood up to every 56 days in order to maintain your iron levels and healthy blood volume while still giving back to society.
Common Misconceptions
It's important to note that plasma has a different definition in physics than plasma in chemistry. In chemistry, plasma is any ionized gas, meaning that no matter its chemical composition, if it's ionized then it's considered a plasma. That being said, this means when you see plasma or plasma TV used in reference to an image or TV screen, they're not actually referring to the same thing.
How can we learn more about plasma
Plasma science is a great introduction to both physics and chemistry, opening up opportunities for exploration in either field. However, most introductory courses are focused on Earth-bound phenomena so many first time students often have a difficult time relating what they learn to cosmic plasma science. Luckily there are plenty of articles, podcasts, videos, animations, tutorials, and lab experiments designed for both teaching purposes as well as entertainment that make learning about plasma easier than ever.