Ok so I’ve been seeing these memes where liquid, solid and gas are being recognised and then something is missing but it can’t be important, and it’s plasma. So can someone explain where it sits in terms of how it’s different to the aforementioned states, and why is it overlooked?
In: Physics
Unlike gases, plasmas are made up of atoms in which some or all of the electrons have been stripped away, leaving positively charged nuclei, called ions, roam freely.
There are four fundamental states of matter. Solids, liquids, gases, and plasma. But since most schools only really teaches about the first three states, people often assume that there are only three states of matter, forgetting about plasma.
Plasma differs from the other states by not having electrons bound to nuclei, but instead simply being a “soup” of positively and negatively charged particles.
Solid, gas, and liquid are taught as the states of matter simply because those are the only states of matter that you’re ever likely to experience. Plasma is sometimes included because it’s easy to demonstrate (e.g. neon lights) and it fits easily into the same continuum as solid -> liquid -> gas.
There are *dozens* more states of matter, but they’re either so esoteric that they’re difficult to explain in a basic science class, or so exotic that most people will never encounter them, or both.
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