As a gas is heated to about 10000K, the intermolecular or interatomic collisions become more and more violent until, eventually, the molecules or atoms disintegrate into electrons and positively charged particles; which is known as plasma has been formed. Plasmas have overall neutrality, but the strong forces within them, between the neutral molecules or atoms in a gas. That is why plasmas are very different from gases. In particular, external electric or magnetic fields affect the charged particles in a plasma, but have little or no effect on the neutral particles in a gas. Plasmas are also at such high temperatures that they emit a lot of light and other elctromagnetic radiation.
More research is taking place to try to understand the characteristics of plasmas more fully. One of the reasons is that the material involved in nuclear fusion is the the plasma state.
More research is taking place to try to understand the characteristics of plasmas more fully. One of the reasons is that the material involved in nuclear fusion is the the plasma state.
