By: Kristin Maxey Period 4 Plasmas and the Sun By: Kristin Maxey Period 4

What is a plasma? Plasmas are ionized gases. Play this game! Plasmas are ionized gases. The electrons and ions of the plasma are free-moving. The atoms that make up the plasma have broken completely apart. Plasmas do not have a distinct shape or volume. They are the most common form of matter. You don’t see that much plasma on Earth because the temperature on Earth is too cold for matter to reach that state. They are very high in energy.

What are some different forms of plasma? The Northern Lights Auroras Neon signs Fire Lightning The tails of the comets Sun Stars

The Sun The Sun is the largest object in the solar system. This is a picture of plasma coming from the sun and going out into space. The Sun is the largest object in the solar system. It contains 98% of the total solar system mass. It appears that the Sun has been active for 4.6 billion years. It should have enough fuel to last for another 5 billion years. The Sun emits plasma. Most people think that in the solar system nothing fills up the space between the planets, but actually plasma fills up that space. It is a swarm of charged particles, or plasma. The Sun is filled with hot hydrogen and helium gas.

Plasmas Plasmas loop around the Sun. They produce magnetic fields. They carry electrical currents. The temperature of the Sun charges up the atoms that create plasma. When a magnetic field is strong enough to influence the direction of the charged particles, it is said that the plasma is magnetized. Beyond the Earth’s atmosphere 99% of observable matter in the solar system is plasma. The temperature and densities of plasmas can be cool and fragile like an aurora. The temperature and densities can be hot and dense like the center of a star. Loops of plasma on the sun following the magnetic force.

Other Information on Plasma In 1879 William Crookes identified the fourth state of matter as plasma. Plasmas permeate the heliosphere and local intersteller medium and that results in a comet-like interaction with the surrounding plasma. Plasmas on Earth are mainly found in a succinct phenomena such as lightning or a welder’s arc. This is a picture of the plasma from the sun connecting with the magnetic fields. William Crookes

Auroras The Northern Lights are auroras. Aurora borealis in Canada. Auroras An aurora australis. The Northern Lights are auroras. The color of the plasma depends on the type gas. In the Northern Hemisphere auroras are called aurora borealis. In the Southern Hemisphere aurora are called aurora australis. Aurora are formed from the collision of Earth’s magnetic field and solar wind. Solar wind is a stream of plasma coming out of the Sun. Aurora borealis seen from a space shuttle. Aurora australis seen from a satellite. Aurora on Jupiter. The Northern Lights.

Places where I got my pictures and facts from. Websites http://www.spaceweathercenter.org/amazing_plasmas/02/02.html http://www.spaceweathercenter.org/amazing_plasmas/04/04.html http://www.plasmas.org/rot-space.htm http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Plasma_(physics) http://www.plasmas.org/rot-plasmas.htm http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sun Books Physics Matters New Book of Popular Science Book #3 Play this game to quiz yourself on the plasma presentation. http://www.quia.com/ba/143526.html