Like every Friday, the weekly "Physics Bite" column is back — number 17.
This time: the connection between plasma, electric current, and electrical conductivity.
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In the video you can see a flame positioned between two metal plates. A voltage is applied across the plates — one is negatively charged and the other positively charged.
The flame becomes an electrical conductor, with current flowing through it in a circuit from the positively charged plate to the negatively charged plate.
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How does it work?
Matter can exist in one of four states: solid, liquid, gas, and plasma.
Plasma is similar to a gas, with one key difference —
in a regular atom, the number of positively charged protons and negatively charged electrons is equal, making it stable and electrically neutral.
In plasma, electrons are torn away from atoms and move freely, leaving the atoms with an excess of protons and turning them into positive ions.
A flame is plasma.
When it is placed between the two metal plates, the free electrons are attracted to the positively charged plate, and the positive ions are attracted to the negatively charged plate.
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Examples of plasma used as a conductor can be found both in nature and in human-made technology.
A few examples are lightning, neon lights, and plasma displays.
Happy holidays! 😃
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