Plasmas

12-10-07 View Adam's Project 11-5-07 http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Plasma_(physics)#Common_plasmas Plasmas are considered the most common type of matter. All the stars in the universe are made of plasma. There are many plasmas on the earth too. These include artificial plasmas like plasma displays (plasma screen TVs), neon signs, and fluresent lights. There are also diferent types of plasmas such as terretrial plasmas and astrophysical plasmas. A common type of terretrial plasma is lightning. A common type of astrophysical plasma is stars and the sun.

11-8-07 http://www.scala.com/definition/plasma.html Plasma is a state of matter that is made up of ionized gasses.

11-9-07 http://fusedweb.pppl.gov/CPEP/Chart_Pages/5.Plasmas/Lightning.html

This is lightning which is a form of terretial plasma.

http://www.physlink.com/Education/AskExperts/ae61.cfm Why does water cunduct electricity? Technically it dosen't. Most electric sources, such as lightning, are plasmas. Plasmas are like gasses but contain 1 or more free electrons. In order for something to conduct electricity it most meet 2 requirements. 1. It most contain charged particles (ions or electrons). 2. These charged particles most also be freely moving. The only reason water seems to conduct electricity is because there are metallic solds in the water that do conduct electricity.

11-14-07 http://education.jlab.org/jsat/powerpoint/states_of_matter.ppt#256,1,Slide 1 This is a very good website on the states of matter. To make the slides go press the down arrow.

http://www.fire.org.nz/facts_stats/science/science.htm How do fires start? For a fire to start there most be oxygen to burn, a sufficent amount of fuel, and energy. The when there is an oxygen molecule and a fuel molecule their kinetic energys cause them to hit each other. If they don't hit with enough speed they don't ignit. If energy is added to the kinetic enegy the molecules go fast enough that when they hit there is ignition and it starts a fire.

11-15-07 http://home.howstuffworks.com/fluorescent-lamp1.htm Atoms produce light known as light photons. This happens when particles hit atoms making the atoms excited. This causes electrons to reach higher levels of energy. Then the electron goes back to its original level of energy and releases a light photon. Light photons are basic units of light. When different types of atoms are used during this diferent colors of light are made.

How Fluorescent lamps work. Fluorescent lights work the same as light bulbs. The only difference between them is the way energy is added. Light bulbs get their energy from heat making the bulbs hot. Fluorecent light gets energy by a different way. In the Fluorecent lights there are sealed glass containers that contain a little mercury and a gas (typically argon) that is keep under low pressure. In the container there is also two electrodes that are wired together. Also the inside of this container is coated with phosphor coating. As an electric current passess through the electrodes some of the charged atoms from the electric current move through the gas to the mercury. (This makes a plasma). The charged atoms hit the mercury's atoms making the atoms excited and makes them release light photons.

11-19-07 http://electronics.howstuffworks.com/plasma-display.htm Plasma TVs are made up of little dots called pixels that are evenly spaced on the TVs screen. These pixels contain three different fluorescent lights. These lights make the colors red, blue, and green. Using these colors the TVs can make all the colors in the color spectrum.