The fourth state of matter!

[thkoutsidthebox]

I wasn't sure where to post this but it came up in a conversation the other day and I'd like to know the answer if anyone has an idea.

There are four states of matter: Solid - Liquid - Gas - Plasma

My understanding is that Plasma is essentially superheated gas, so my question is this:

If plasma is just superheated gas, then why is it a fourth state of matter and not included in 'gas'. How is it fundamentally different from the Gaseous state?

Thanks. Strange question I know!

[greybeard]

I think the difference is the gas is ionised.
John

[thkoutsidthebox]

Thanks greybeard. How does that happen, is it simply due to the extreme temperatures?

[Weldtutor]

As Greybeard says, the gas must be "electrically charged" & by passing the gas through an orifice that has the proper electrical charateristics, this occurs, resulting in the extreme temperature.

Below is an Encarta description.
A plasma is any substance (usually a gas) whose atoms have one or more electrons detached and therefore become ionized. The detached electrons remain, however, in the gas volume that in an overall sense remains electrically neutral. The ionization can be effected by the introduction of large concentrations of energy, such as bombardment with fast external electrons, irradiation with laser light, or by heating the gas to very high temperatures. The individually charged plasma particles respond to electric and magnetic fields and can therefore be manipulated and contained.

[thkoutsidthebox]

[Scratch]

So what about Plasma in blood?

[thkoutsidthebox]

Originally Posted by Scratch So what about Plasma in blood?

lol! .....You are joking, right?

....biological blood plasma is a totally different substance. Its basically the liquid that transports everything. It contains and transports the vitimins, fibrinogen, proteins, urea, anti-toxins, white and red blood cells, etc etc

...although, now that you mention it ...I dont know how its liquid molocules are made up, obviously mainly H2O....but maybe the atomic structure is different somehow.....hmmm...

[sdantonio]

When you heat a gas you increase the kinetic energy (energy of motion) of the gas molecules (or atoms if your dealing with a monatomic gas), thereby increasing the speed at which the gas molecules are flying around at. Temperature is actually a measurement of the kinetic energy or speed of the gas molecules.

These gas molecules are constantly colliding with each other as well as the sides of the container they are in. When the gas molecules hit a certain speed (temperature) then the molecules break apart into gas atoms. (carbon dioxide will break into carbon and oxygen atoms for example).

At a still higher speed the collisions are hard enough that you begin to knock off an electron (ionized gas or a plasma). At an even higher temperature you knock off all the electrons (fully ionised plasma). Here were talking tens of millions of degrees. About the temperature my girlfriend likes to keep the house at

Blood plasma is about or more 95% water. Straight, standard, regular, water. As tkousidethebox mentioned, all the rest of that other stuff is dissolved up in the water.

damn, I knew all that school would be useful someday.

[Scratch]

Whoa... my head hurts.

[thkoutsidthebox]

Originally Posted by Scratch Whoa... my head hurts.

:rofl:

[Weldtutor]

Originally Posted by thkoutsidthebox :rofl:

Howpe dis halps tu anser sum uff da kwestyens ebove.

Eye tride kutten wit da bluud plazma stoff butt et wuz awl bekwords.
Yule haf a hole bunch mower sexsess eff u dew da kutt ferst, den kollect da plazma dat runz oudda da kut.

Den ya godda fynd owt ware tew poot da plazma, butt et leest yule half yer
kut witch es weye ya wuz wannten tuu haf da plazma en da furst playse ennyhoo.

Donnut ROFL!!
Stend upp end tek et lyke aye mann.

Dis es ehbout awl eye ken sey 4 da mowment bowt da 4 stetes uff madder.
Howpe dat udder geyes hed stopps herten.

Ware ez mye Babblefish wen eye wawnt et?

[Scratch]

Thanks Tutor.

That explains alot. Now my head don't hurt no more.

Although I am feeling kinda woozy....