what gases can turn into a plasma
Any gas can turn into plasma if the temperature is high enough. Consider the Sun: all elements are there, and all are in plasma form.
To understand which gases can turn into plasma, it's important to first understand what plasma is. Plasma is often referred to as the fourth state of matter, alongside solid, liquid, and gas. When a gas is heated to extremely high temperatures, the atoms within the gas become highly energized. As a result, the electrons in the outer shells of the atoms are stripped away, creating a cloud of free electrons and positively charged ions.
In theory, any gas can turn into a plasma if it is heated to a high enough temperature. However, different gases require different levels of temperature to transform into plasma. For example, at room temperature, gases like oxygen, nitrogen, and carbon dioxide are in the gas state. But if these gases were heated to very high temperatures, they would transition into plasma.
One common example of plasma is found in neon lights. Neon gas, which is normally stable at room temperature, is ionized and becomes plasma when an electric current is applied. This causes the neon gas to emit a vibrant glow.
Another well-known example of plasma is found in stars, like our Sun. The Sun is primarily composed of hydrogen gas and when the temperature at its core reaches millions of degrees Celsius, the hydrogen gas is transformed into plasma.
So in conclusion, any gas can potentially turn into plasma if it is heated to an extremely high temperature, causing the electrons to dissociate from their atoms and creating a plasma state.