Explore our popular Plasma Globe exhibit in the ‘Light and Colour’ gallery.
What is plasma?
Plasma is the fourth state of matter, after solid, liquid and gas. Plasma is formed when a gas is changed in a way that lets electricity flow through it very easily.
Did you know that stars are almost pure balls of plasma? It’s estimated that 99.9% of all ordinary matter in the universe is plasma but it is very rarely encountered on Earth. Luckily, we can create plasma artificially using our plasma globe!
How does the Plasma Globe work?
Imagine how a lightning bolt travels from a thundercloud down to earth. The glass sphere of the plasma globe is filled with a mixture of gases, which are turned into plasma by creating a high electrical voltage on the small ball in the centre. Electricity then flows from the centre through the plasma to the outer glass, which we see as moving streams of light.
When you touch the glass, you make it slightly easier for the electricity to flow to earth (as it now flows through you instead of the outside of the globe) and so a tendril of light will appear to move towards your hand and will start to glow brighter.
Have fun creating cool patterns with the plasma!
