Plasma

Dickson Lim(14) 1p2

Content Brief introduction Formation of Plasma Definition of Plasma Properties Common Plasma Plasma Uses of Plasma Plasma TV Interesting facts Photo Gallery

Brief Introduction to Plasma Very similar to gas

-certain particles are ionized

Has properties quite unlike those of solids, liquids, or gases

Considered to be a distinct state of matter4th state of matter

Formation of Plasma A plasma is an ionized gas, a gas into which sufficient energy is

provided to free electrons from atoms or molecules and to allow both species, ions and electrons, to coexist.

A plasma is a gas that has been energized to the point that some of the electrons break free from, but travel with, their nucleus.

Formation of Plasma The energy can be of various origins: thermal,

electrical, or light E.g. ultraviolet light or intense visible light from a

laser.

With insufficient sustaining power, plasmas recombine into neutral gas.

Definition of Plasma Charged particles must be close enough together

that each particle influences many nearby charged particles (rather than just interacting with the closest particle)

Interactions in the bulk of the plasma are more important than those at its edges, where boundary effects may take place.

PropertiesDoes not have a definite volume

Does not have a definite shape

Can be compressed

Common Plasma Are by far the most common phase of matter in the

universe, both by mass and by volume.

All the stars are made of plasma, and even the space between the stars is filled with a plasma, albeit a very sparse one.

In our solar system, the planet Jupiter accounts for most of the non-plasma, only about 0.1% of the mass and 10−15% of the volume within the orbit of Pluto.

Plasma By far the most common form of matter

Present in the stars and in the tenuous space

Makes up over 99% of the visible universe and perhaps most of that which is not visible

Plasma Consists of a collection of free moving electrons and ions

- atoms that have lost electrons.

Energy is needed to strip electrons from atoms to make plasma.

The energy can be of various origins: thermal, electrical, or light.

With insufficient sustaining power, plasmas recombine into neutral gas.

Plasma Can be accelerated and steered by electric and

magnetic fieldsAllows it to be controlled and applied.

Temperature commonly measured in kelvins or electronvolts Informal measure of the thermal kinetic energy per

particle.

Plasma Can be accelerated and steered by electric and

magnetic fieldsAllows it to be controlled and applied.

Temperature commonly measured in kelvins or electronvolts Informal measure of the thermal kinetic energy per

particle.

Uses Mainly used in high tech industries

Microelectronic/semiconductors chips for computers transmitters for microwaves or high temperature films

Can even be used in extraction of minerals e.g.diamond

Plasma TV

Plasma TV A plasma display panel (PDP) is a type of flat panel

display common to large TV displays .

Many tiny cells between just two panels of glass hold a mixture of noble gases.

The gas in the cells is electrically turned into a plasma which emits ultraviolet light which then excites phosphors to emit visible light.

Pros & Cons of Plasma TV Advantages

Achieves better and more accurate color reproduction than LCDs

Produces deep, true blacks allowing for superior contrast ratios (up to 1:2,000,000)

Far wider viewing angles than those of LCD Disadvantages

Susceptible to screen burn-in and image retention Gradual decline of absolute image brightness Use more electricity, on average, than an LCD TV

Lightning Lightning is an example of plasma present at Earth’s

surface

Typically, lightning discharges 30,000 amperes at up to 100 million volts, and emits light, radio waves, X-rays and even gamma rays

Plasma temperatures in lightning can approach ~28,000 kelvin and electron densities may exceed 1024 m−3

Tycho’s Supernova The remnant of "Tycho's Supernova", a huge ball

of expanding plasma

The outer shell shown in blue is X-ray emission by high-speed electrons.

Video http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0ALJY-nWbnQ Tychos’s Supernova

Please click the picture to watch the video

Sun The biggest chunk of plasma you will see is that

dear friend to all of us, the sun.

The sun's enormous heat rips electrons off the hydrogen and helium molecules that make up the sun.

Essentially, the sun, like most stars, is a great big ball of plasma.

Photo Gallery

Credits http://www.plasmas.org http://www.chem4kids.com/files/matter_plasma.ht

ml http://www.tvsnob.com/pictures/plasma-cool.jpg www.youtube.com (video)

Thank You

Q & A Q&A