plasma

Examples of plasma in the following topics:

• Electromagnetic Spectrum

  • Frequencies observed in astronomy range from 2.4×1023 Hz (1 GeV gamma rays) down to the local plasma frequency of the ionized interstellar medium (~1 kHz).
  • Radio: Collective oscillation of charge carriers in bulk material (plasma oscillation).
  • Visible: Molecular electron excitation (including pigment molecules found in the human retina), plasma oscillations (in metals only).

• Mass Spectrometry to Measure Mass

  • For example, the most common ion source for analyzing elements is inductively coupled plasma (ICP).
  • In ICP, a 10,000-degree C "flame" of plasma gas is used to atomize sample molecules and strip the outer electrons from those atoms.
  • The plasma is usually generated from argon gas.
  • Plasma gas is electrically neutral overall, but a substantial number of its atoms are ionized by the high temperature.

• Medical Solutions: Colligative Properties

  • Plasma osmolarity is the measure of the body's electrolyte-water balance.
  • The normal range of osmolality in human blood plasma is 270-310 milli-osmoles/kg.

• Fusion Reactors

  • In most experiments, the nuclei and electrons are left in a fluid known as a plasma, which is a state of matter that occurs when a gas is heated to extreme temperatures.
  • Namely, the heating of the plasma by the products of the fusion reactions must be sufficient to maintain the temperature of the plasma against all losses without external power input.

• Three States of Matter

  • In extreme environments, other states may be present, such as plasma, Bose-Einstein condensates, and neutron stars.
  • Further states, such as quark-gluon plasmas, are also believed to be possible.
  • Much of the atomic matter of the universe is hot plasma in the form of rarefied interstellar medium and dense stars.

• The Atomic Bomb

  • By this time, the material in the core and tamper of the bomb is several meters in diameter and has been converted to plasma at a temperature of tens of millions of degrees.

• Substances that Exist as Gases

  • As heat is added to this substance it melts into a liquid at its melting point, boils into a gas at its boiling point, and if heated high enough would enter a plasma state in which the electrons are so energized that they leave their parent atoms from within the gas.

• Conductors

  • However, there are also many non-metallic conductors, including graphite, solutions of salts, and all plasmas.

• Preparing a Buffer Solution with a Specific pH

  • A buffer of carbonic acid (H2CO3) and bicarbonate (HCO3−) is needed in blood plasma to maintain a pH between 7.35 and 7.45.

• Substances and Mixtures

  • Chemical substances can be solids, liquids, gases, or plasma.