The Plasma TV Blog

We have long been used to thinking in terms of matter existing in three states. These three traditionally taught states were liquid, solid, and gas. There is another state of matter and it is not only important in a ever growing number of technical applications, it also is estimated to make up almost 99% of the visible universe. This distinct state of matter is known as plasma, and it is distinguished by having a positive electrical charge. Ordinary gas contains an equal number of positive electrons and negative electrons. This makes the gas electrically balanced. The positive electrons are in the nucleus and they are orbited by an equal number of negatively charged electrons. When an atom of gas is acted upon by some outside energy force such as heat it has a tendency to allow some of the negatively charged electrons to break free from the hold of the nucleus. This atom becomes unbalanced as the negative electrons release and drift freely. The result is a gas with an positive electric charge. Such a positively charged electron is said to be “ionized.” It would usually take a majority of the atoms of the gas to become ionized in order to effect the electrical characteristics of the gas, but once this change takes place, the resulting gas is known as plasma.

It is often the interaction between these ionized plasma particles and the neutral atoms that creates the unique characteristics that gives plasma its usefulness in any number of technical applications. The door to the use of plasma has only opened a crack, and its use in applications that will someday impact many aspects of our life is just being understood.