Plasma ball (Image Credit: User: Nevit, via Wikimedia Commons)
For a long time, science only knew about three states of matter: solid, liquid and gas. Nowadays, we know that not only is there a fourth state, but it's far more prevalent than those we are familiar with: and it's called plasma.
[box style="0"] Plasma is defined as a state of matter predominantly comprised of ions and electrons. An ion is formed when an atom or molecule gains or loses electrons, yielding an overall charge (either positive or negative). The presence of charged ions means that a plasma is highly electrically conductive and responds strongly to magnetic and electric fields.
Its behaviour is most comparable to that of a gas, as the plasma has no defined volume but instead, it assumes the volume of the container it is in. Despite all of the constituent particles being charged, typically the plasma itself has no overall charge. However, some plasmas (non-neutral) can be created with an overall charge (either positive or negative) and are composed of pure electron, ion, positron, or antiproton plasmas.
Plasmas commonly form by heating a gas to searing temperatures. When heated, the atoms in the gas either gain or lose electrons (ionization) and the end result is a charged particle plasma. Packed full of charged particles (positive ions, electrons, or negative ions), the plasma can also be created by breaking any molecular bonds with a magnetic field via a device (like a laser).
The hottest plasma ever created on Earth reached a temperature of 7.2 trillion degrees Fahrenheit (4 trillion degrees Celsius), dwarfing those generated within the Sun by a long shot (by comparison, it merely reaches a temperature of 9 billion °F/5 million °C in the the Sun's core). However, one doesn't need to arrange a trip to the Sun to see plasma, In fact, most people can without having to leave their homes.
WATCH: "Make Plasma With Grapes In The Microwave!"
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