What is the plasma state
The plasma state is a kind of state of matter characterized by having a high energy charge which is generated, to a large extent, in situations where the temperature is very high.
The plasma state It is the most common state of matter in the universe, allows the conduction of electricity and is found, for example, in the stars, the Sun, rays, among others. This state of matter has the particularity of not having a fixed shape or volume.
Now, plasma is a gas that has been ionized due to high temperatures that cause atoms to become positive ions by releasing negative electrons. In this way, the positive ions and negative electrons move freely in the ionized gas but without being linked to each other.
Therefore, the plasmatic state of matter It is a good conductor of electricity, whose capacity can increase as the degree of ionization increases. However, if the energy that makes up the plasma is reduced, the plasmatic state of matter is extinguished.
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Examples of the plasma state
Among the examples that can be mentioned regarding the state of matter, both natural and those that have been formed through technological applications.
Plasma state in nature
Ionosphere: It is a part of the Earth’s atmosphere, between the mesosphere and the exosphere, where solar radiation is so strong that it can remove electrons from the atoms that make up the air. As a result, the northern lights and aurora australis are formed.
Aurora borealis and aurora australis: is the luminosity that occurs in the night sky, generally in the polar areas.
Sun: The Sun is a star whose core is ionized gas that is heated by nuclear fusion.
Nebulae: They are areas composed of large masses of ionized matter that, when heated, form new stars.
Good heavens: It is a plasmatic state that is perceived as light rays during strong storms. Rays have a high percentage of ionization and temperature.
Plasma state in technological applications
Lightning: The plasmatic state of matter has favored the creation of cold fluorescent lamps with low electrical consumption, among which fluorescent tubes can be mentioned.
Television or computer screens: They are screens composed of neon and xenon gases.
Rocket engines: In these engines, the ions are accelerated in a high-power electric field that expels matter in its plasmatic state to the outside.