Thus elements of plasma exert a force on one another even at large distances. It is this long -range Coulomb force that gives the plasma a large repertoire of possible motions and enriches the field of study known as plasma physics. Another fundamental characteristic of the behavior of a plasma is its ability to shield out electric potentials that are applied to it. Suppose we tried to put an electric field inside plasma by inserting two charged balls connected to a battery. The balls would attract particles of the opposite charge, and almost immediately a cloud of ions would surround the negative ball.
Plasma physics is one of the larger fields in physics.
For more information about plasmas on the world wide web see Plasma on the Internet . For an eclectic compilation of mathematical and scientific formulas and physical parameters pertinent to a variety of plasma regimes, ranging from laboratory devices to astrophysical objects, you may look into the mini-Bible of plasma physicists. To view the full text version you will need the Adobe Acrobat Reader that is available from Adobe for free. As mentioned above liquids and gases are what we call fluids. Fluids differ from solids in that they flow in response to an applied force.