Which form of matter contains positively and negatively charged particles at very high temperatures, such as in stars?

Which form of matter contains positively and negatively charged particles at very high temperatures, such as in stars?

• A. Solids
• B. Gases
• C. Liquids
• D. Plasma

Answer: (D)

At very high temperatures, energy is enough to knock electrons off atoms, leaving positively charged ions and free electrons mixed together. That mixture is plasma. In stars, temperatures are so extreme that most hydrogen and helium are ionized, so stellar matter exists as plasma. The presence of these free charges makes plasma conduct electricity and respond to magnetic fields, and it often emits light as charged particles accelerate. The other forms—solids, liquids, and typical gases—have neutral atoms or molecules and do not have a large population of free charges at these temperatures, so they aren’t the state described here.

At very high temperatures, energy is enough to knock electrons off atoms, leaving positively charged ions and free electrons mixed together. That mixture is plasma. In stars, temperatures are so extreme that most hydrogen and helium are ionized, so stellar matter exists as plasma. The presence of these free charges makes plasma conduct electricity and respond to magnetic fields, and it often emits light as charged particles accelerate. The other forms—solids, liquids, and typical gases—have neutral atoms or molecules and do not have a large population of free charges at these temperatures, so they aren’t the state described here.