Oftentimes after Jackson & Jeremiah's Explora Science Club class is over, they ask if they can hang out and do some more science stuff. We consider this, our Science Lab days and we do so much cool stuff and learn so many new things that time just flies, and we end up staying all day long.
Jackson & Jeremiah have been trying to fit in more Electricity Lab time, since Explora will be pulling that exhibit and replacing it at the end of October. They've also learned alot about fascinating Plasma. What's wild is that I had never heard of PLasma until my adult years, and 99% of life is made of Plasma!!
Plasma is the fourth state of matter. Many schools teach that there are three states of matter; solid, liquid and gas, but there are actually four. The fourth is plasma. To put it very simply, a plasma is an ionized gas, a gas into which sufficient energy is provided to free electrons from atoms or molecules and to allow both species, ions and electrons, to coexist. The funny thing about that is, that as far as we know, plasmas are the most common state of matter in the universe. They are even common here on earth.
A plasma is a gas that has been energized to the point that some of the electrons break free from, but travel with, their nucleus. Gases can become plasmas in several ways, but all include pumping the gas with energy. A spark in a gas will create a plasma. A hot gas passing through a big spark will turn the gas stream into a plasma that can be useful. Plasma torches like that are used in industry to cut metals. The biggest chunk of plasma you will see is that dear friend to all of us, the sun. The sun's enormous heat rips electrons off the hydrogen and helium molecules that make up the sun. Essentially, the sun, like most stars, is a great big ball of plasma.
Isn't that cool?
The boys also like 'hooking up' with some of the homeschooling friends who also attend the classes. One of their buddies is Garret, aka Shadow. They are in the photo above.