difference between ionization and plasma?

[uday mehta]

are all ionized gases known as plasma? means the ionized gas in fluorescent tube is in the form of plasma? if not then what is the difference? and how a gas become plasma by heating up? which type and how intense laser is used for this purpose?

neither site give me a clear answer... :-(
please explain it...

 

[chuckey]

See Wiki ~~:- https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Plasma_(physics)
Frank

 

[ted]

To simplify a bit:

- Not all gas ionization involves plasma. Often only a small portion of gas is actually converted to ions. Also liquids can contain ions (f.ex. salt dissolved in water).

- When we talk about plasma, it is always heavily ionized. Essentially, large quantity of the atomic structures of the material are very jumbled up and broken (electrons "loosened"), usually due to high temperature. Necessary heating may be from varying sources, and definitely not necessary by lasers (which are just one way of generating high intensity heat). For example an electrical arc contains plasma. So contain stars.

Actually Wikipedia has a reasonably good explanation to offer: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Plasma_(physics)

 

[chuckey]

I did this forty years ago at college, the bare essentials are, ionized gases have currents of micro to milliamps and voltage drops of 10KV -70 V, plasma discharges have currents of amps at volts (or less), this causes the total breakup of the atomic structures as mentioned above. Two very different beasts.
Frank

 

[uday mehta]

Sir, thanx for ur reply but i ddnt get ur point regarding the breakage of plasma material. I ddnt get how can plasma break on its own and if broken into constituents then what r the products formed?

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Hey, but if i got to use a laser as a heating source then what type of them can be used and how intense?

 

[chuckey]

The structure of material is made by the bonds between the electrons and the nucleus. If you put enough energy into a system, these bonds breakdown. When the energy input is stopped the charged particles rush about and re constitute the original molecules.
Frank

 

[jiugegouling]

plasma inlcude all ionized material also include ionized gas