Mondo Knows Facts

Plasma is the most common state of matter

Stars and glowing gas are plasma, so most visible matter is ionised A plasma is a gas hot enough, or energetic enough, for electrons to break free of their atoms. Because the charged particles respond to electric and magnetic fields, plasmas conduct current and glow. The Sun, lightning, neon signs and the aurora are all plasma. It sits in Mondo's science collection, one of 200 facts that each trace back to the reference below.

Where this comes from

NASA

Facts that can change over time are reviewed and updated. If something here looks wrong, Mondo would rather know than be confidently incorrect.

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Tags: physics, plasma, matter

Plasma is the most common state of matter: the short answers

Where does this come from, and can I check it?
Stars and glowing gas are plasma, so most visible matter is ionised. The figure is taken from NASA, which is linked in full on this page. Every fact on Mondo Knows names its source rather than repeating an unsourced claim.
Is this really a science fact?
Yes. It sits on the Science shelf, one of 2,600 sourced facts grouped into space, animals, the human body, history, science and more. Category pages collect every fact in the same field.
What else can I read about it?
The links under the fact point to a quiz, game, puzzle or calculator on the same subject, and the shelf below shows related facts. The wording here is original, and quoted phrases are marked as quotations.