plasma

A fourth stateA broad term that can apply to a lot of systems. Let’s say you have a system that can be one of two ways – on or off. That “on-ness” or “off-ness” is the state of the system. The system is either in an on state or an off state. Many different kinds of systems can have many different kinds of state. There are many complex branches of engineering or physics or even mathematics that deal with state. The easiest way to think of any of them is, “the way things are” (which may depend on the history of prior states, meaning how they got to this particular state). of matter (the other three being solid, liquid, and gas). It’s characterized by atoms being stripped of their electronsA fundamental particle found outside atoms. It carries a negative charge. It can move easily in a conducting material, which gives rise to electrical current.; it takes a lot of energy to get into this state.