The universe is not made of solids or liquids, but of plasma
In short: We are taught that matter exists in four states: solid, liquid, gas, and plasma. Yet, that list is incomplete. In reality, 99.9% of the observable universe is made of plasma, an electrified gas that powers the stars and creates the dancing lights of the aurora.
While solids, liquids, and gases are the familiar states we encounter daily, they represent only a tiny fraction of the cosmos. Most matter in the universe—roughly 99.9%—is actually plasma. This state is so abundant that it makes up the Sun and nearly all other stars. On Earth, however, plasma is less common, appearing in localized phenomena like lightning, static electricity sparks, or the gases within the ionosphere and magnetosphere.
The defining characteristic of plasma is its electrical charge. While a gas consists of neutral particles, a plasma is an electrified gas formed when extra energy—such as extreme heat or high-voltage electricity—is added. This energy causes electrons to be torn free from their atoms, creating ions. These ions possess a positive charge because they have lost negatively charged electrons, while the nucleus remains composed of protons and neutrons. Consequently, plasma is a mixture of these positively charged ions and negatively charged electrons.
Because plasma particles carry electrical charges, they react to electrical and magnetic fields, a behavior that distinguishes them from standard gases. This interaction is what allows plasma to flow along Earth's magnetic field toward the poles, resulting in the colorful aurora, also known as the Northern or Southern Lights. Beyond these natural occurrences, scientists have discovered even more exotic, man-made states of matter under extreme laboratory conditions, such as Bose-Einstein condensates, time crystals, and fermionic condensates.
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Sources
- Summary by Intellect · source: Solid, liquid, gas and … plasma? - Michael Murillo
- Also: States of matter: Definition and phases of change | Live Science
- Also: Plasma | Center for Science Education
- Also: ed.ted.com — Solid, liquid, gas and … plasma? - Michael Murillo | TED-Ed
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